title: Making Mass Spectrometry See the Light: The Promises and Challenges of Cryogenic Infrared Ion Spectroscopy as a Bioanalytical Technique.
abstract: The detailed chemical information contained in the vibrational spectrum of a cryogenically cooled analyte ion would, in principle, make infrared (IR) ion spectroscopy a gold standard technique for molecular identification in mass spectrometry. Despite this immense potential, there are considerable challenges in both instrumentation and methodology to overcome before the technique is analytically useful. Here, we discuss the promise of IR ion spectroscopy for small molecule analysis in the context of metabolite identification. Experimental strategies to address sensitivity constraints, poor overall duty cycle, and speed of the experiment are intimately tied to the development of a mass-selective cryogenic trap. Therefore, the most likely avenues for success, in the authors' opinion, are presented here, alongside alternative approaches and some thoughts on data interpretation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Adam P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Cismesia
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Laura S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Larry F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tesler
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA. polfer@chem.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Nicolas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Polfer
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins
keywords: Action spectroscopy; Cryogenic; Ion trap; Metabolites; Vibrational spectroscopy