1
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Craig A, Moodie LWK, Hawkes JA. Preparation of Simple Bicyclic Carboxylate-Rich Alicyclic Molecules for the Investigation of Dissolved Organic Matter. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:7078-7086. [PMID: 38608252 PMCID: PMC11044592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a vast and complex chemical mixture that plays a key role in the mediation of the global carbon cycle. Fundamental understanding of the source and fate of oceanic organic matter is obscured due to poor definition of the key molecular contributors to DOM, which limits accurate sample analysis and prediction of the Earth's carbon cycle. Previous work has attempted to define the components of the DOM through a variety of chromatographic and spectral techniques. However, modern preparative and analytical methods have not isolated or unambiguously identified molecules from DOM. Therefore, previously proposed structures are based solely on the mixture's aggregate properties and do not accurately describe any true individual molecular component. In addition to this, there is a lack of appropriate analogues of the individual chemical classes within DOM, limiting the scope of experiments that probe the physical, chemical, and biological contributions from each class. To address these problems, we synthesized a series of analogues of carboxylate-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM), a molecular class hypothesized to exist as a major contributor to DOM. Key analytical features of the synthetic CRAMs were consistent with marine DOM, supporting their suitability as chemical substitutes for CRAM. This new approach provides access to a molecular toolkit that will enable previously inaccessible experiments to test many unproven hypotheses surrounding the ever-enigmatic DOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander
J. Craig
- Analytical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
- Drug
Design and Discovery, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | - Lindon W. K. Moodie
- Drug
Design and Discovery, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey A. Hawkes
- Analytical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
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2
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Aguilar-Alarcón P, Gonzalez SV, Mikkelsen Ø, Asimakopoulos AG. Molecular formula assignment of dissolved organic matter by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry using two non-targeted data processing approaches: A case study from recirculating aquaculture systems. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1288:342128. [PMID: 38220272 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.342128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accumulation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) poses an issue in the management of the water quality from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), but its characterization is often not detailed enough to understand the DOM transformations in RAS. In this study, we investigated the application of two distinct non-targeted data processing approaches using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS) and two software with different algorithmic designs: PetroOrg and Progenesis QI to accurately characterize the molecular composition of DOM in RAS by UPLC-QTOF-MS. RESULTS The UPLC-QTOF-MS resolution in combination with PetroOrg and Progenesis QI software successfully assigned 912 and 106 unique elemental compositions, respectively, including compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO) and nitrogen-containing CHO compounds (CHON), in the DOM samples from RAS. The results of these two distinct data processing approaches were consistent with the list of DOM formulas from RAS identified by higher resolution mass spectrometry techniques confirming their reliability. PetroOrg approach revealed only compositional information in the DOM samples from RAS, while Progenesis QI in addition to identifying new elemental compositions, increased their chemical space by giving information about their polarity and their possible key structures. DOM samples from RAS were found to be rich in unsaturated CHO compounds, with tentatively key structures of terpenoids with medium polarity indicating natural origins in their composition. The analysis also revealed probable structures of sucrose fatty acid esters and polyethylene glycol, indicating anthropogenic sources. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY The combination of these two non-targeted data processing approaches significantly improves the characterization of the complex mixture of DOM from RAS by UPLC-QTOF-MS reporting for the first time accurate DOM results in terms of its composition, while proposing its key structures. The presented methods can also be used to analyze different DOM samples with other HRMS techniques and software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Aguilar-Alarcón
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, H2O Building, C/Emili Grahit, 101, E17003, Girona, Spain; University of Girona, 17071, Girona, Spain.
| | - Susana V Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Øyvind Mikkelsen
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Alexandros G Asimakopoulos
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
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3
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Acter T, Lee S, Uddin N, Mow KM, Kim S. Characterization of petroleum‐related natural organic matter by ultrahigh‐resolution mass spectrometry. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thamina Acter
- Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences East West University Dhaka Bangladesh
| | - Seulgidaun Lee
- Department of Chemistry Kyungpook National University Daegu Republic of Korea
| | - Nizam Uddin
- Department of Nutrition and Food Engineering, Faculty of Allied Health Science Daffodil International University Dhaka Bangladesh
| | - Kamarum Monira Mow
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering East West University Dhaka Bangladesh
| | - Sunghwan Kim
- Department of Chemistry Kyungpook National University Daegu Republic of Korea
- Mass Spectrometry Based Convergence Research Institute Kyungpook National University Daegu Republic of Korea
- Green‐Nano Materials Research Center, Kyungpook National University Daegu Republic of Korea
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4
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Simon C, Dührkop K, Petras D, Roth VN, Böcker S, Dorrestein PC, Gleixner G. Mass Difference Matching Unfolds Hidden Molecular Structures of Dissolved Organic Matter. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11027-11040. [PMID: 35834352 PMCID: PMC9352317 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) has revealed unprecedented details of natural complex mixtures such as dissolved organic matter (DOM) on a molecular formula level, but we lack approaches to access the underlying structural complexity. We here explore the hypothesis that every DOM precursor ion is potentially linked with all emerging product ions in FTMS2 experiments. The resulting mass difference (Δm) matrix is deconvoluted to isolate individual precursor ion Δm profiles and matched with structural information, which was derived from 42 Δm features from 14 in-house reference compounds and a global set of 11 477 Δm features with assigned structure specificities, using a dataset of ∼18 000 unique structures. We show that Δm matching is highly sensitive in predicting potential precursor ion identities in terms of molecular and structural composition. Additionally, the approach identified unresolved precursor ions and missing elements in molecular formula annotation (P, Cl, F). Our study provides first results on how Δm matching refines structural annotations in van Krevelen space but simultaneously demonstrates the wide overlap between potential structural classes. We show that this effect is likely driven by chemodiversity and offers an explanation for the observed ubiquitous presence of molecules in the center of the van Krevelen space. Our promising first results suggest that Δm matching can both unfold the structural information encrypted in DOM and assess the quality of FTMS-derived molecular formulas of complex mixtures in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Simon
- Molecular
Biogeochemistry, Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kai Dührkop
- Chair
for Bioinformatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Daniel Petras
- Collaborative
Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California
San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0657, La Jolla, California 92093-0657, United States of America
- CMFI
Cluster of Excellence, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and
Medicine, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa-Nina Roth
- Molecular
Biogeochemistry, Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Böcker
- Chair
for Bioinformatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Pieter C. Dorrestein
- Collaborative
Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California
San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0657, La Jolla, California 92093-0657, United States of America
| | - Gerd Gleixner
- Molecular
Biogeochemistry, Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
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5
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Kim S, Kim D, Jung MJ, Kim S. Analysis of environmental organic matters by Ultrahigh-Resolution mass spectrometry-A review on the development of analytical methods. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2022; 41:352-369. [PMID: 33491249 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Owing to the increasing environmental and climate changes globally, there is an increasing interest in the molecular-level understanding of environmental organic compound mixtures, that is, the pursuit of complete and detailed knowledge of the chemical compositions and related chemical reactions. Environmental organic molecule mixtures, including those in air, soil, rivers, and oceans, have extremely complex and heterogeneous chemical compositions. For their analyses, ultrahigh-resolution and sub-ppb level mass accuracy, achievable using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), are important. FT-ICR MS has been successfully used to analyze complex environmental organic molecule mixtures such as natural, soil, particulate, and dissolved organic matter. Despite its success, many limitations still need to be overcome. Sample preparation, ionization, structural identification, chromatographic separation, and data interpretation are some key areas that have been the focus of numerous studies. This review describes key developments in analytical techniques in these areas to aid researchers seeking to start or continue investigations for the molecular-level understanding of environmental organic compound mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjune Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Donghwi Kim
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Korea
| | - Maeng-Joon Jung
- Department of Chemistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Sunghwan Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- Mass Spectrometry Convergence Research Center and Green-Nano Materials Research Center, Daegu, Korea
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6
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Jennings E, Kremser A, Han L, Reemtsma T, Lechtenfeld OJ. Discovery of Polar Ozonation Byproducts via Direct Injection of Effluent Organic Matter with Online LC-FT-ICR-MS. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:1894-1904. [PMID: 35007417 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Effluent organic matter (EfOM), a major ozone consumer during wastewater ozonation, is a complex mixture of natural and anthropogenic organic molecules. Ozonation of EfOM adds to molecular complexity by introducing polar and potentially mobile ozonation byproducts (OBPs). Currently, nontargeted direct infusion (DI) ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (e.g. FT-ICR-MS) is used to study OBPs but requires sample extraction, limiting the accessible polarity range of OBPs. To better understand the impact of ozonation on EfOM and the formation of polar OBPs, nonextracted effluent was analyzed by direct injection onto a reversed-phase liquid chromatography system (RP-LC) online hyphenated with an FT-ICR-MS. Over four times more OBPs were detected in nonextracted EfOM compared to effluent extracted with solid phase extraction and measured with DI-FT-ICR-MS (13817 vs 3075). Over 1500 highly oxygenated OBPs were detected exclusively in early eluting fractions of nonextracted EfOM, indicating polar OBPs. Oxygenation of these newly discovered OBPs is higher than previously found, with an average molecular DBE-O value of -3.3 and O/C ratio of 0.84 in the earliest eluting OBP fractions. These polar OBPs are consistently lost during extraction but may play an important role in understanding the environmental impact of ozonated EfOM. Moreover, 316 molecular formulas classified as nonreactive to ozone in DI-FT-ICR-MS can be identified with LC-FT-ICR-MS as isomers with varying degrees of reactivity, providing for the first time experimental evidence of differential reactivity of complex organic matter isomers with ozone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Jennings
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arina Kremser
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Limei Han
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Oliver J Lechtenfeld
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- ProVIS-Centre for Chemical Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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7
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Leyva D, Tariq MU, Jaffé R, Saeed F, Lima FF. Unsupervised Structural Classification of Dissolved Organic Matter Based on Fragmentation Pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:1458-1468. [PMID: 34981937 PMCID: PMC11293370 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is considered an essential component of the Earth's ecological and biogeochemical processes. Structural information of DOM components at the molecular level remains one of the most extraordinary analytical challenges. Advances in determination of chemical formulas from the molecular studies of DOM have provided limited indications on structural signatures and potential reaction pathways. In this work, we extend the structural characterization of a wetland DOM sample using precursor and fragment molecular ions obtained by a sequential electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR CASI-CID MS/MS) approach. The DOM chemical complexity resulted in near 900 precursors (P) and 24 000 fragment (F) molecular ions over a small m/z 261-477 range. The DOM structural content was dissected into families of structurally connected precursors based on neutral mass loss patterns (Pn-1 + F1:n + C) across the two-dimensional (2D) MS/MS space. This workflow identified over 1900 structural families of DOM compounds based on a precursor and neutral loss (H2O, CH4O, and CO2). The inspection of structural families showed a high degree of isomeric content (numerous identical fragmentation pathways), not discriminable with sole precursor ion analysis. The connectivity map of structural families allows for the visualization of potential biogeochemical processes that DOM undergoes throughout its lifetime. This study illustrates that integrating effective computational tools on a comprehensive high-resolution mass fragmentation strategy further enables the DOM structural characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennys Leyva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Muhammad Usman Tariq
- School of Computing and Information Science, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Rudolf Jaffé
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Fahad Saeed
- School of Computing and Information Science, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Francisco Fernandez Lima
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
- Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
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8
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Investigation of the molecular structure complexity of dissolved organic matter by UPLC-orbitrap MS/MS. Talanta 2021; 230:122320. [PMID: 33934784 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The complex natural organic matter of the Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) standard was analyzed by online reversed-phase chromatography with Orbitrap MS/MS using collision-induced dissociation (CID). The number of isobars per nominal mass could be reduced to a single dominantly abundant species in a chromatographic run, sharing some ions with signals having the identical molecular formula in adjacent chromatographic segments and later serving as a precursor ion for fragmentation. A very large proportion of the same fragment ions existed in adjacent chromatographic fractions. The difference in the fragment ions in adjacent chromatographic fractions could be attributed to a gradual change in the formula composition of precursor ions in a chromatographic run. It could be concluded that dissolved organic matter (DOM) molecules with the same elemental composition in different chromatographic fractions may have very similar molecular structures. In addition, we propose a possible DOM model that might greatly deepen our understanding of the behavior of DOM in aquatic matrices.
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9
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Bahureksa W, Tfaily MM, Boiteau RM, Young RB, Logan MN, McKenna AM, Borch T. Soil Organic Matter Characterization by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FTICR MS): A Critical Review of Sample Preparation, Analysis, and Data Interpretation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:9637-9656. [PMID: 34232025 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The biogeochemical cycling of soil organic matter (SOM) plays a central role in regulating soil health, water quality, carbon storage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, many studies have been conducted to reveal how anthropogenic and climate variables affect carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. Among the analytical techniques used to better understand the speciation and transformation of SOM, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) is the only technique that has sufficient mass resolving power to separate and accurately assign elemental compositions to individual SOM molecules. The global increase in the application of FTICR MS to address SOM complexity has highlighted the many challenges and opportunities associated with SOM sample preparation, FTICR MS analysis, and mass spectral interpretation. Here, we provide a critical review of recent strategies for SOM characterization by FTICR MS with emphasis on SOM sample collection, preparation, analysis, and data interpretation. Data processing and visualization methods are presented with suggested workflows that detail the considerations needed for the application of molecular information derived from FTICR MS. Finally, we highlight current research gaps, biases, and future directions needed to improve our understanding of organic matter chemistry and cycling within terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bahureksa
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Malak M Tfaily
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Rene M Boiteau
- College of Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Robert B Young
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1170, United States
| | - Merritt N Logan
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Amy M McKenna
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, 1800 East Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, Florida 32310-4005, United States
| | - Thomas Borch
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1170, United States
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10
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Zhang X, Han J, Zhang X, Shen J, Chen Z, Chu W, Kang J, Zhao S, Zhou Y. Application of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to characterize natural organic matter. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 260:127458. [PMID: 32693253 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in the ultra-high-resolution mass spectroscopy lead to a deep insight into the molecular characterization of natural organic matter (NOM). Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) has been used as one of the most powerful tools to decipher NOM molecules. In FTICR-MS analysis, the matrix effects caused by the co-occurring inorganic substances in water samples greatly affect the ionization of NOM molecules. The inherent complexity of NOM may hinder its component classification and formula assignment. In this study, basic principles and recent advances for sample separation and purification approaches, ionization methods, and the evolutions in formula assignment and data exploitation of the FTICR-MS analysis were reviewed. The complementary characterization methods for FTICR-MS were also reviewed. By coupling with other developed/developing characterization methods, the statistical confidence for inferring the NOM compositions by FTICR-MS was greatly improved. Despite that the refined separation procedures and advanced data processing methods for NOM molecules have been exploited, the big challenge for interpreting NOM molecules is to give the basic structures of them. Online share of the FTICR-MS data, further optimizing the FTICR-MS technique, and coupling this technique with more characterization methods would be beneficial to improving the understanding of the composition and property of NOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jiarui Han
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xiangru Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jimin Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Zhonglin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
| | - Wei Chu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
| | - Jing Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Shengxin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Yaoyu Zhou
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
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11
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Wünsch UJ, Hawkes JA. Mathematical chromatography deciphers the molecular fingerprints of dissolved organic matter. Analyst 2020; 145:1789-1800. [DOI: 10.1039/c9an02176k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Mathematical chromatography offers information reduction and feature extraction in complex liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urban J. Wünsch
- Chalmers University of Technology
- Architecture and Civil Engineering
- Water Environment Technology
- 41296 Gothenburg
- Sweden
| | - Jeffrey A. Hawkes
- Analytical Chemistry
- Department of Chemistry – BMC
- Uppsala University
- Uppsala
- Sweden
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12
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Patriarca C, Bergquist J, Sjöberg PJR, Tranvik L, Hawkes JA. Online HPLC-ESI-HRMS Method for the Analysis and Comparison of Different Dissolved Organic Matter Samples. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:2091-2099. [PMID: 29241333 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an ultracomplex mixture that is essential to global carbon cycling but is poorly understood because of its complexity. The most powerful tool for the DOM characterization is high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) generally combined to direct infusion (DI) as sample introduction. Liquid chromatography (LC) represents a compelling alternative to DI; however, state-of-the-art techniques involve only offline LC-HRMS approaches, which have important logistical drawbacks that make DOM analysis more challenging. This study introduces a new method based on online coupling of liquid chromatography to high resolution mass spectrometry, able to overcome the disadvantages of usual approaches. It is characterized by high reproducibility (% Bray-Curtis dissimilarity among replicates ≈ 2.5%), and it reduces transient complexity and contaminant interferences, thus increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), leading to the identification of an overall larger number of formulas in the mixture. Moreover, the application of an in silico fractionation prior to the statistical analysis allows an easy, flexible, fast, and detailed comparison of DOM samples from a variety of sources with a single chromatographic run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Patriarca
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Analytical Chemistry, Uppsala University , Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bergquist
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Analytical Chemistry, Uppsala University , Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Per J R Sjöberg
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Analytical Chemistry, Uppsala University , Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Lars Tranvik
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University , Uppsala 75236, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey A Hawkes
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Analytical Chemistry, Uppsala University , Uppsala 75124, Sweden
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13
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Fractionation of Dissolved Organic Matter on Coupled Reversed-Phase Monolithic Columns and Characterisation Using Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Chromatographia 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10337-017-3324-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Brown TA, Jackson BA, Bythell BJ, Stenson AC. Benefits of multidimensional fractionation for the study and characterization of natural organic matter. J Chromatogr A 2016; 1470:84-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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15
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Harris BD, Brown TA, McGehee JL, Houserova D, Jackson BA, Buchel BC, Krajewski LC, Whelton AJ, Stenson AC. Characterization of Disinfection By-Products from Chromatographically Isolated NOM through High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:14239-14248. [PMID: 26554276 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
As levels of natural organic matter (NOM) in surface water rise, the minimization of potentially harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs) becomes increasingly critical. Here, we introduce the advantage that chromatographic prefractionation brings to investigating compositional changes to NOM caused by chlorination. Fractionation reduces complexity, making it easier to observe changes and attribute them to specific components. Under the conditions tested (0.1-0.4 g of Cl to g of C without further additives), the differences between highly and less oxidized NOM were striking. Highly oxidized NOM formed more diverse Cl-containing DPB, had a higher propensity to react with multiple Cl, and tended to transform so drastically as to no longer be amenable to electrospray-ionization mass spectral detection. Less-oxidized material tended to incorporate one Cl and retain its humiclike composition. N-containing, lipidlike, and condensed aromatic structure (CAS)-like NOM were selectively enriched in mass spectra, suggesting that such components do not react as extensively with NaOCl as their counterparts. Carbohydrate-like NOM, conversely, was selectively removed from spectra by chlorination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Logan C Krajewski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University , Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
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Sandron S, Rojas A, Wilson R, Davies NW, Haddad PR, Shellie RA, Nesterenko PN, Kelleher BP, Paull B. Chromatographic methods for the isolation, separation and characterisation of dissolved organic matter. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2015; 17:1531-1567. [PMID: 26290053 DOI: 10.1039/c5em00223k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This review presents an overview of the separation techniques applied to the complex challenge of dissolved organic matter characterisation. The review discusses methods for isolation of dissolved organic matter from natural waters, and the range of separation techniques used to further fractionate this complex material. The review covers both liquid and gas chromatographic techniques, in their various modes, and electrophoretic based approaches. For each, the challenges that the separation and fractionation of such an immensely complex sample poses is critically reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sandron
- Australian Centre for Research on Separation Sciences (ACROSS), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 75, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 7001.
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Novotny NR, Capley EN, Stenson AC. Fact or artifact: the representativeness of ESI-MS for complex natural organic mixtures. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2014; 49:316-26. [PMID: 24719347 DOI: 10.1002/jms.3345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Because mass spectrometers provide their own dispersion and resolution of analytes, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has become a workhorse for the characterization of complex mixtures from aerosols to crude oil. Unfortunately, ESI mass spectra commonly contain multimers, adducts and fragments. For the characterization of complex mixtures of unknown initial composition, this presents a significant concern. Mixed-multimer formation could potentially lead to results that bare no resemblance to the original mixture. Conversely, ESI-MS has continually reflected subtle differences between natural organic matter mixtures that are in agreement with prediction or theory. Knowing the real limitations of the technique is therefore critical to avoiding both over-interpretation and unwarranted skepticism. Here, data were collected on four mass spectrometers under a battery of conditions. Results indicate that formation of unrepresentative ions cannot entirely be ruled out, but non-covalent multimers do not appear to make a major contribution to typical natural organic matter spectra based on collision-induced dissociation results. Multimers also appear notably reduced when a cooling gas is present in the accumulation region of the mass spectrometer. For less complex mixtures, the choice of spray solvent can make a difference, but generally spectrum cleanliness (i.e. representativeness) comes at the price of increased selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R Novotny
- Chemistry Department, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA
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Wang RQ, Druckenmüller K, Elbers G, Guenther K, Croué JP. Analysis of aquatic-phase natural organic matter by optimized LDI-MS method. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2014; 49:154-160. [PMID: 24464543 DOI: 10.1002/jms.3321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The composition and physiochemical properties of aquatic-phase natural organic matter (NOM) are most important problems for both environmental studies and water industry. Laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry facilitated successful examinations of NOM, as humic and fulvic acids in NOM are readily ionized by the nitrogen laser. In this study, hydrophobic NOMs (HPO NOMs) from river, reservoir and waste water were characterized by this technique. The effect of analytical variables like concentration, solvent composition and laser energy was investigated. The exact masses of small molecular NOM moieties in the range of 200-1200 m/z were determined in reflectron mode. In addition, spectra of post-source-decay experiments in this range showed that some compounds from different natural NOMs had the same fragmental ions. In the large mass range of 1200-15,000 Da, macromolecules and their aggregates were found in HPO NOMs from natural waters. Highly humic HPO exhibited mass peaks larger than 8000 Da. On the other hand, the waste water and reservoir water mainly had relatively smaller molecules of about 2000 Da. The LDI-MS measurements indicated that highly humic river waters were able to form large aggregates and membrane foulants, while the HPO NOMs from waste water and reservoir water were unlikely to form large aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Qi Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Baluha DR, Blough NV, Del Vecchio R. Selective mass labeling for linking the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter to structure and composition via ultrahigh resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:9891-9897. [PMID: 23915388 DOI: 10.1021/es402400j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The mass spectra acquired by ESI FT-ICR MS of untreated, borohydride-reduced, and borodeuteride-reduced samples of Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) and a C18 extract from the upper Delaware Bay were compared to one another. Treatment of these samples with sodium borodeuteride was shown to produce unique mass labels for species which contain one or two ketone/aldehyde moieties. Approximately 30% of all identified peaks in the two samples were shown to comprise ketone/aldehyde-containing species. The molecular formulas of the majority of these species had O/C and H/C molar ratios typically attributed to lignin-derived compounds and/or carboxylic rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM). However, the significant loss of UV-vis absorption following reduction supports a lignin-based origin for the optical (and photochemical) properties of these samples. The mass-labeling method described and tested herein shows great promise as a means to further characterize the structure and composition of complex natural samples, especially in terms of identifying specific subsets of chemical species that contribute significantly to the optical and photochemical properties of such samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Baluha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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Abdulla HAN, Sleighter RL, Hatcher PG. Two dimensional correlation analysis of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra of dissolved organic matter: a new graphical analysis of trends. Anal Chem 2013; 85:3895-902. [PMID: 23472832 DOI: 10.1021/ac303221j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis was applied to 20 Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra (FTICR-MS) of ultrafiltered dissolved organic matter samples from a salinity transect of the lower Chesapeake Bay. We were able to investigate the chemical changes in the dissolved organic matter pool at the molecular level and classify the individual peaks based on their biogeochemical reactivity. The power of this technique is its ability to be used on either the presence/absence of the individual peaks or their normalized magnitudes. The presence or absence of the peaks are utilized to identify the reactivity and correlation between peaks that plot in different regions of the van Krevelen diagram, whereas the normalized magnitudes are used to correlate the changes among individual peaks. One of the promising advantages of 2D correlation of FTICR-MS data is the ability to associate the variations of the individual peaks with the changes in the functional groups that are measured by other spectroscopic techniques. This approach takes us one step further from identifying molecular formulas to proposing chemical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain A N Abdulla
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, United States
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Resolving the chemical heterogeneity of natural organic matter: new insights from comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr A 2012; 1249:138-46. [PMID: 22738816 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2012.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
For the purpose of resolving the chemical heterogeneity of natural organic matter (NOM), comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC×LC) was employed for the first time to map the hydrophobicity versus molecular weight (MW) distribution of two well-known complex organic mixtures: Suwannee River Fulvic Acids (SR-FA) and Pony Lake Fulvic Acids (PL-FA). Two methods have been developed using either a conventional reversed-phase (RP) silica column or a mixed-mode hydrophilic interaction column operating under aqueous RP mode in the first dimension, and a size-exclusion column in the second dimension. The LC×LC fractions were screened on-line by UV at 254 nm, molecular fluorescence at excitation/emission wavelengths (λ(Exc)/λ(Em)) of 240/450 nm, and by evaporative light scattering. The MW distributions of these two NOM samples were further characterized by number (Mn) and weight (Mw) average MW, and by polydispersity (Mw/Mn). Findings suggest that the combination of two independent separation mechanisms is promising in extend the range of NOM separation. For the cases where NOM separation was accomplished, smaller Mw group fractions seem to be related to a more hydrophobic nature. Regardless of the detection method, the complete range of MW distribution provided by both comprehensive LC×LC methods was found to be lower than those reported in the literature.
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Li S, Su Y, Guo Y. Analysis of the volatile compounds in Senecio scandens Buch-Ham by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based on diversified scan technologies. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2011; 17:353-363. [PMID: 22006636 DOI: 10.1255/ejms.1142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Static headspace gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify volatile compounds from Senecio scandens Buch-Ham. The elemental composition of compounds was confirmed by exploiting the tandem mass spectra of isotopic peaks from the precursor ion. Some isomers were well distinguished by the diversified scan technologies of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The MS/MS included a product ion scan, a precursor ion scan and a neutral loss scan. The results showed that 46 volatile compounds were completely identified, and the great of majority compounds were α-pinene (11.93%), n-caproaldehyde (9.02%) and dehydrosabinene (6.22%). This qualitative method is convenient and accurate and can be considered as a complementary identification method for the qualitative analysis of volatile compounds in complex samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sensen Li
- Research Center for Health and Nutrition, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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