Achieving 50% ionization efficiency in subambient pressure ionization with nanoelectrospray

Anal Chem. 2010 Nov 15;82(22):9344-9. doi: 10.1021/ac1019123. Epub 2010 Oct 28.

Abstract

Inefficient ionization and poor transmission of the charged species produced by an electrospray from the ambient pressure mass spectrometer source into the high vacuum region required for mass analysis significantly limits achievable sensitivity. Here, we present evidence that, when operated at flow rates of 50 nL/min, a new electrospray-based ion source operated at ∼20 Torr can deliver ∼50% of the analyte ions initially in the solution as charged desolvated species into the rough vacuum region of mass spectrometers. The ion source can be tuned to optimize the analyte signal for readily ionized species while reducing the background contribution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Ions
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Pressure*
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / instrumentation
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*

Substances

  • Ions
  • Solvents
  • Carbon Dioxide