Sodium Cation Affinities of MALDI Matrices Determined by Guided Ion Beam Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Application to Benzoic Acid Derivatives†

Automated Structural Activity Screening of β-Diketonate Assemblies with High-Throughput Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

Embracing complexity in design, metallo-supramolecular self-assembly presents an opportunity for fabricating materials of economic significance. The array of accessible supramolecules is alluring, along with favourable energy requirements. Implementation is hampered by an inability to efficiently characterise complex mixtures. The stoichiometry, size, shape, guest binding properties and reactivity of individual components and combinations thereof are inherently challenging to resolve. A large combinatorial library of four transition metals (Fe, Cu, Ni and Zn), and six β-diketonate ligands at different molar ratios and pH was robotically prepared and directly analysed over multiple timepoints with electrospray ionisation travelling wave ion mobility-mass spectrometry. The dataset was parsed for self-assembling activity without first attempting to structurally assign individual species. Self-assembling systems were readily categorised without manual data-handling, allowing efficient screening of self-assembly activity. This workflow clarifies solution phase supramolecular assembly processes without manual, bottom-up processing. The complex behaviour of the self-assembling systems was reduced to simpler qualities, which could be automatically processed.

Sodium Binding Interactions with Aliphatic Amino Acids: A Guided Ion Beam and Computational Study

Metal binding affinities play a vital role in medicinal, biological, and industrial applications. In particular, metal cation-amino acid (AA) interactions contribute to protein stability such that analyzing analogous prototypical interactions is important. Here, we present a full description of the interactions of sodium cations (Na⁺) and six aliphatic amino acids (AA), where AA = glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), homoalanine (hAla), valine (Val), leucine (Leu), and isoleucine (Ile). Experimentally, these interactions are evaluated using threshold collision-induced dissociation carried out in a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer, allowing for the determination of the kinetic-energy-dependent behavior of Na⁺-AA dissociation. Analysis of these dissociation cross sections, after accounting for multiple ion-molecule collisions, internal energy of reactant ions, and unimolecular decay rates, allows the determination of absolute Na⁺-AA bond dissociation energies (BDEs) in kJ/mol of Gly (164.0), Ala (166.9), hAla (167.9), Val (172.7), Leu (173.7), and Ile (174.6). These are favorably compared to quantum chemical calculations conducted at the B3LYP, B3P86, MP2(full), B3LYP-GD3BJ, and M06-2X levels of theory. Our combination of structural and energetic analyses provides information regarding the specific factors responsible for Na⁺ interactions with amino acids. Specifically, we find that the BDEs increase linearly with increasing polarizability of the amino acid.

Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance to rationalize best efficiency of 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid over other 2,X-dihydroxybenzoic acid isomers in solvent-free matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization of poly(ethylene glycol)

RATIONALE

Among isomers of dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), 2,5-DHB is often the most efficient matrix in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for a great variety of compounds. Yet, when performing solvent-free MALDI, 2,6-DHB yields better results for poly(ethylene glycol [PEG]). This intriguing feature is explored here using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

METHODS

Ternary mixtures were prepared by grinding 2,X-DHB (X = 3-6), poly(ethylene glycol) (M_n = 2000 g mol^-1 ) and lithium fluoride (LiF) in a matrix/analyte/salt molar ratio of 50/1/10 for 16 min under a controlled atmosphere. After mixing, a few grains were applied to the MALDI target for MS analysis, whereas the major part of the ground sample was transferred into rotors to perform ¹³ C, ⁷ Li, and ¹⁹ F NMR experiments.

RESULTS

Lithiated PEG chains are mainly formed with 2,6-DHB in solvent-free MALDI, but their abundance increases with 2,3-DHB and 2,4-DHB when water uptake is favored by a humid atmosphere. Solid-state NMR shows that grinding 2,6-DHB-based samples in atmospheric conditions leads to a solid phase in which the matrix, PEG, and salt molecules exhibit a high mobility compared with systems involving other 2,X-DHB isomers. This mobile environment would favor (as a solvent) LiF dissociation and best promote PEG cationization.

CONCLUSIONS

Complementary data in ¹³ C, ⁷ Li, and ¹⁹ F NMR spectra are consistent with the formation of a solid phase of high mobility composed of 2,6-DHB, PEG, and the two salt components that ultimately favor the production of lithiated PEG chains.

Cationic Noncovalent Interactions: Energetics and Periodic Trends

In this review, noncovalent interactions of ions with neutral molecules are discussed. After defining the scope of the article, which excludes anionic and most protonated systems, methods associated with measuring thermodynamic information for such systems are briefly recounted. An extensive set of tables detailing available thermodynamic information for the noncovalent interactions of metal cations with a host of ligands is provided. Ligands include small molecules (H2, NH3, CO, CS, H2O, CH3CN, and others), organic ligands (O- and N-donors, crown ethers and related molecules, MALDI matrix molecules), π-ligands (alkenes, alkynes, benzene, and substituted benzenes), miscellaneous inorganic ligands, and biological systems (amino acids, peptides, sugars, nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides). Hydration of metalated biological systems is also included along with selected proton-based systems: 18-crown-6 polyether with protonated peptides and base-pairing energies of nucleobases. In all cases, the literature thermochemistry is evaluated and, in many cases, reanchored or adjusted to 0 K bond dissociation energies. Trends in these values are discussed and related to a variety of simple molecular concepts.

Silver cation affinities of monomeric building blocks of polyethers and polyphenols determined by guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry

Energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (CID) of seven silver cation-ligand complexes, Ag(+)(L), with Xe is studied using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry techniques. The ligands, L, investigated are monomeric building blocks of polyethers and polyphenols including phenol, 2-hydroxyphenol, 3-hydroxyphenol, 4-hydroxyphenol, 2-hydroxymethyl phenol, 3-hydroxymethyl phenol, and 4-hydroxymethyl phenol. In all cases, Ag(+) is observed as the primary CID product, corresponding to endothermic loss of the intact neutral ligand. The kinetic-energy-dependent cross sections for CID of these Ag(+)(L) complexes are analyzed using an empirical threshold law to extract absolute 0 and 298 K Ag(+)-L bond dissociation energies (BDEs). Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory are used to determine the structures of the neutral ligands and their complexes to Ag(+) using either the Stuttgart RSC 1997 valence basis set and effective core potential (SRSC ECP) or DZVP-DFT to describe Ag(+). Theoretical BDEs are determined at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) level of theory again using the SRSC ECP or DZVP-DFT for Ag(+). For all systems, the most stable binding conformations found involve cation-π interactions when the SRSC ECP is used to describe Ag(+). When DZVP-DFT is employed, the most stable binding geometries remain cation-π complexes except for the complex to 2HP, where the ground-state conformer involves bidentate binding of Ag(+) to the hydroxyl oxygen atoms of both substituents. The agreement between the measured and calculated BDEs is excellent with a MAD of 2.9 ± 1.7 kJ/mol when the SRSC ECP is used to describe Ag(+) and less satisfactory for DZVP-DFT, which underestimates the strength of binding in these systems by ~14% or 26.0 ± 6.7 kJ/mol.

Sodium cation affinities of commonly used MALDI matrices determined by guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry

The sodium cation affinities of six commonly used MALDI matrices are determined here using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry techniques. The collision-induced dissociation behavior of six sodium cationized MALDI matrices, Na+(MALDI), with Xe is studied as a function of kinetic energy. The MALDI matrices examined here include: nicotinic acid, quinoline, 3-aminoquinoline, 4-nitroaniline, picolinic acid, and 3-hydroxypicolinic acid. In all cases, the primary dissociation pathway corresponds to endothermic loss of the intact MALDI matrix. The cross section thresholds are interpreted to yield zero and 298 K Na+−MALDI bond dissociation energies (BDEs), or sodium cation affinities, after accounting for the effects of multiple ion-neutral collisions, the kinetic and internal energy distributions of the reactants, and dissociation lifetimes. Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G* and MP2(full)/6-311+G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G* levels of theory are used to characterized the structures and energetics for these systems. The calculated BDEs exhibit very good agreement with the measured values for most systems. The experimental and theoretical Na+−MALDI BDEs determined here are compared with those previously measured by cation transfer equilibrium methods.

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: an update for the period 2005-2006

This review is the fourth update of the original review, published in 1999, on the application of MALDI mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2006. The review covers fundamental studies, fragmentation of carbohydrate ions, method developments, and applications of the technique to the analysis of different types of carbohydrate. Specific compound classes that are covered include carbohydrate polymers from plants, N- and O-linked glycans from glycoproteins, glycated proteins, glycolipids from bacteria, glycosides, and various other natural products. There is a short section on the use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for the study of enzymes involved in glycan processing, a section on industrial processes, particularly the development of biopharmaceuticals and a section on the use of MALDI-MS to monitor products of chemical synthesis of carbohydrates. Large carbohydrate-protein complexes and glycodendrimers are highlighted in this final section.

Potassium Cation Affinities of Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Matrices Determined by Threshold Collision-Induced Dissociation: Application to Benzoic Acid Derivatives

Threshold collision-induced dissociation of K+(xBA) complexes with xenon is studied using guided ion beam mass spectrometry. The xBA ligands studied include benzoic acid and all of the mono- and dihydroxy-substituted benzoic acids: 2-, 3-, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 3,4-, and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid. In all cases, the primary product corresponds to endothermic loss of the intact xBA ligand. The cross section thresholds are interpreted to yield 0 and 298 K bond dissociation energies (BDEs) for K+-xBA after accounting for the effects of multiple ion-neutral collisions, the kinetic and internal energy distributions of the reactants, and dissociation lifetimes. Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory are used to determine the structures of the xBA ligands and their complexes with K+. Theoretical BDEs are determined from single-point energy calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) and MP2(full)/6-311+G(2d,2p) levels using B3LYP/6-31G* optimized geometries. Four favorable binding modes for the K+(xBA) complexes are found. In all complexes to an xBA ligand that does not have a 2-hydroxyl substituent, the most favorable binding mode corresponds to a single interaction with the carbonyl oxygen atom. Formation of a 4-membered ring via chelation interactions with both oxygen atoms of the carboxylic acid group is found to be the most favorable binding mode for all of the 2-hydroxy-substituted systems except K+(2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid). In these complexes, a hydrogen-bonding interaction between the hydrogen atom of the carboxylic acid moiety and the oxygen atom of the 2-hydroxy substituent provides additional stabilization. Formation of a 5-membered chelation ring via interaction of K+ with the oxygen atoms of adjacent hydroxyl substituents is also favorable and corresponds to the ground-state geometry for the K+(23DHBA) complex. Formation of a 6-membered chelation ring via interaction of K+ with the carbonyl and 2-hydroxyl oxygen atoms is also quite favorable but does not correspond to the ground-state geometry for any of the systems examined here. The experimental BDEs determined here are in very good agreement with the calculated values.