Weathering trend characterization of medium-molecular weight polycyclic aromatic disulfur heterocycles by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

A rapid gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur heterocycles in spilled crude oils

Spilled crude oil samples contain various toxic compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) and their related alkylated forms (APAHs and APASHs). In this study, a method was successfully developed employing a gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight (GC-QToF) mass spectrometer to quantitatively analyze both PAHs/APAHs and PASHs/APASHs in these samples. With GC-QToF, the monoisotopic mass of the compounds is distinguished, allowing the PASHs/APASHs to be extracted separately from the PAHs/APAHs in crude oil. A gas chromatography triple quadrupole (GC-MS/MS) mass spectrometer was also used to confirm that a GC-QToF is the preferred instrument for analyzing these compounds. With the use of PASH/APASH standards to determine response correction factors (RCFs) in relation to PAH standards, the developed method is capable of analyzing PAHs, APAHs, PASHs, and APASHs in a single injection. The use of RCFs allowed for the development of a practical polycyclic aromatic carbon (PAC) method for analyzing a total of 77 compounds of the 2 groups in crude oil. This newly developed method was applied to spilled crude oils, demonstrating its potential in toxicological study as well as oil spill forensic investigation.

Comprehensive Screening of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Similar Compounds Using GC-APLI-TIMS-TOFMS/GC-EI-MS

In the present work, a novel workflow based on complementary gas-phase separations for the identification of isomeric PAHs from complex mixtures is described. This is the first report on the coupling of gas chromatography (GC), atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI), and trapped ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) for the characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Over a hundred known unknowns are uniquely identified based on the molecular ion retention indices I (5%), mobility (RSD < 0.6% and R = 50-90 with S_r = 0.18 V/ms), mobility-based theoretical candidate assignment (<3%), accurate mass chemical formula assignment (<2 ppm), and electron impact fragmentation pattern and database search. The advantages of theoretical modeling of PAHs and similar compounds were evaluated using candidate structures ranked by retention indices and fragmentation pattern from GC-EI-MS data sets. Over 20 PAH isomeric and deuterated standards were utilized for the GC-APLI-TIMS-TOF MS workflow validation. Noteworthy is the analytical capability for untargeted screening of isomeric and isobaric compounds with additional characterization metrics not available in traditional GC-EI-MSⁿ workflows.

Molecular-level investigation of soils contaminated by oil spilled during the Gulf War

In this study, molecular-level chemical compositions of soils contaminated by oil spilled during the Gulf War were studied. Two soil samples, respectively collected at 0.1 m and between 0.5 and 1 m below the surface from an oil spill site, were extracted with organic solvents and water. The extracts were analyzed via ultrahigh resolution FT-ICR and two-dimensional gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry. The data showed that the spilled oil was significantly affected by vaporization due to high surface temperatures in the desert. The data obtained with (+) atmospheric pressure photo ionization (APPI) and (-) electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled with ultrahigh resolution-mass spectrometry (UHR-MS) indicated that the degradation of aromatic compounds and increase in oxygen-containing classes occurred in the following order: surface soil > below surface soil > crude oil. The oxygenated compounds were confirmed by principal component analysis. The score and loading plots of O_x and SO_x showed that they were the major contributors to differentiate the samples. However, a comparison with previously reported oceanic oil spills showed that less significant degradation occurred even after almost 30 years. Our data can provide an information basis for designing a strategy for clean-up and restoration efforts of Gulf War oil spills.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange in mass spectrometry

The isotopic exchange approach is in use since the first observation of such reactions in 1933 by Lewis. This approach allows the investigation of the pathways of chemical and biochemical reactions, determination of structure, composition, and conformation of molecules. Mass spectrometry has now become one of the most important analytical tools for the monitoring of the isotopic exchange reactions. Investigation of conformational dynamics of proteins, quantitative measurements, obtaining chemical, and structural information about individual compounds of the complex natural mixtures are mainly based on the use of isotope exchange in combination with high resolution mass spectrometry. The most important reaction is the Hydrogen/Deuterium exchange, which is mainly performed in the solution. Recently we have developed the approach allowing performing of the Hydrogen/Deuterium reaction on-line directly in the ionization source under atmospheric pressure. Such approach simplifies the sample preparation and can accelerate the exchange reaction so that certain hydrogens that are considered as non-labile will also participate in the exchange. The use of in-ionization source H/D exchange in modern mass spectrometry for structural elucidation of molecules serves as the basic theme in this review. We will focus on the mechanisms of the isotopic exchange reactions and on the application of in-ESI, in-APCI, and in-APPI source Hydrogen/Deuterium exchange for the investigation of petroleum, natural organic matter, oligosaccharides, and proteins including protein-protein complexes. The simple scenario for adaptation of H/D exchange reactions into mass spectrometric method is also highlighted along with a couple of examples collected from previous studies.

Retention behavior of alkyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Retention indices for 79 alkyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) were determined by using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) on a monomeric and polymeric octadecylsilane (C18) stationary phase. Molecular shape parameters [length, breadth, thickness (T), and length-to-breadth ratio (L/B)] were calculated for all the compounds studied. Based on separations of isomeric methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on polymeric C18 phases, alkyl-substituted PASHs are expected to elute based on increasing L/B ratios. However, the correlation coefficients had a wide range of values from r=0.43 to r=0.93. Several structural features besides L/B ratios were identified to play an important role in the separation mechanism of PASHs on polymeric C18 phases. First, the location of the sulfur atom in a bay-like-region results in alkylated-PASHs being more retentive than non-bay-like-region alkylated-PASHs, and they elute later than expected based on L/B value. Second, the placement of the alkyl group in the k region of the structure resulted in a later elution than predicted by L/B. Third, highly nonplanar methyl-PASHs (i.e., 1-Me and 11-MeBbN12T) elute prior to the parent PASH (BbN12T).

Increasing Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Molecular Coverage during Fossil Oil Analysis by Combining Gas Chromatography and Atmospheric-Pressure Laser Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS)

Thousands of chemically distinct compounds are encountered in fossil oil samples that require rapid screening and accurate identification. In the present paper, we show for the first time, the advantages of gas chromatography (GC) separation in combination with atmospheric-pressure laser ionization (APLI) and ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) for the screening of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fossil oils. In particular, reference standards of organics in shale oil, petroleum crude oil, and heavy sweet crude oil were characterized by GC-APLI-FT-ICR MS and APLI-FT-ICR MS. Results showed that, while APLI increases the ionization efficiency of PAHs, when compared to other ionization sources, the complexity of the fossil oils reduces the probability of ionizing lower-concentration compounds during direct infusion. When gas chromatography precedes APLI-FT-ICR MS, an increase (more than 2-fold) in the ionization efficiency and an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of lower-concentration fractions are observed, giving better molecular coverage in the m/z 100-450 range. That is, the use of GC prior to APLI-FT-ICR MS resulted in higher molecular coverage, higher sensitivity, and the ability to separate and characterize molecular isomers, while maintaining the ultrahigh resolution and mass accuracy of the FT-ICR MS separation.

Structure-dependent degradation of polar compounds in weathered oils observed by atmospheric pressure photo-ionization hydrogen/deuterium exchange ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry

The resin fractions of fresh mixtures of three oils spilled during the M/V Hebei Spirit oil spill, as well as weathered oils collected at weathering stages II and IV from the oil spill site were analyzed and compared by atmospheric pressure photo-ionization hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX MS). The significantly decreased abundance of N(+) and [N-H+D](+) ions suggested that secondary and tertiary amine-containing compounds were preferentially degraded during the early stage of weathering. [N+H](+) and [N+D](+) ions previously attributed to pyridine-type compounds degraded more slowly than secondary and tertiary amine-containing compounds. The preferential degradation of nitrogen-containing compounds was confirmed by photo-degradation experiments using 15 standard compounds. In addition, significant increases of [S1O1+H](+) and [S1O1+D](+) ions with higher DBE values were observed from fresh oil mixtures as compared to stages II and IV samples, and that could be linked with the decrease of higher DBE compounds of the S1 class. This study presented convincing arguments and evidence demonstrating that secondary and tertiary amines were more vulnerable to photo-degradation than compounds containing pyridine, and hence, preferential degradation depending on chemical structures must be considered in the production of hazardous or toxic components.