title: Rectangular ion funnel: a new ion funnel interface for structures for lossless ion manipulations.
abstract: Structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM) have recently demonstrated the ability for near lossless ion focusing, transfer, and trapping in subatmospheric pressure regions. While lossless ion manipulations are advantageously applied to the applications of ion mobility separations and gas phase reactions, ion introduction through ring electrode ion funnels or more conventional ion optics to SLIM can involve discontinuities in electric fields or other perturbations that result in ion losses. In this work, we developed and investigated a new funnel design that aims to seamlessly couple to SLIM at the funnel exit. This rectangular ion funnel (RIF) was initially evaluated by ion simulations, fabricated utilizing printed circuit board technology, and tested experimentally. The RIF was integrated to a SLIM-time of flight (TOF) MS system, and the operating parameters, including RF, DC bias of the RIF electrodes, and electric fields for effectively interfacing with a SLIM, were characterized. The RIF provided a 2-fold sensitivity increase without significant discrimination over a wide m/z range and well matched to that of SLIM, along with greatly improved SLIM operational stability.
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.
authors.forename: Tsung-Chi
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ian K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Spencer A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Prost
authors.forename: Marques B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Harrer
authors.forename: Randolph V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Norheim
authors.forename: Keqi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yehia M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007477:Ions