title: Real-time reaction monitoring using ion mobility-mass spectrometry.
abstract: The potential of ion mobility (IM) spectrometry in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) for real-time reaction monitoring is reported. The combined IM-MS approach using electrospray ionization affords gas-phase analyte characterization based on both mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio and gas-phase ion mobility (drift time). The use of IM-MS analysis is demonstrated for the monitoring of the reaction products formed when 7-fluoro-6-hydroxy-2-methylindole is deprotonated by aqueous sodium hydroxide. Real-time reaction monitoring was carried out over a period of several hours, with the reaction mixture sampled and analysed at intervals of several minutes. Product ion relative intensity is enhanced selectively in the ion mobility-selected mass spectrum, compared to mass spectrometry alone. The combined IM-MS approach has potential as a rapid and selective technique to aid pharmaceutical process control and for the elucidation of reaction mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK.
authors.forename: Emma L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Harry
authors.forename: Anthony W T
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Bristow
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Colin S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Creaser
mesh_terms: D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D007211:Indoles / Q000737:chemistry; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D007211:Indoles; D007477:Ions; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; C022958:2-methylindole