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Weber M, Wolf JC, Haisch C. Effect of Dopants and Gas-Phase Composition on Ionization Behavior and Efficiency in Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ionization. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:538-549. [PMID: 36827232 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cold plasma-based ionization techniques allow for soft ionization of a wide variety of chemical compounds. In this chemical ionization mechanism, the atmosphere plays a crucial role in ionization. Knowing its influence is critical for the optimization of analysis conditions and interpretation of resulting spectra. This study uses soft ionization by chemical reaction in transfer (SICRIT), a variant of dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI), that allows for a controlled atmosphere to investigate atmosphere and dopant effects. The influence of eight makeup gas compositions (dry nitrogen, room air, and nitrogen-enriched with either water, HCl, MeOH, hexane, NH3, and fluorobenzene) on the ionization with SICRIT was investigated. Fifteen compound classes, comprising alkanes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), terpenes, oxygen-containing terpenes, alkylphenols, chlorophenols, nitrophenols, trialkylamines, triazines, phthalates with or without ether groups, aldehydes, ketones, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), and polyoxy-methylene ethers (OMEs) were measured via gas chromatography SICRIT high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-SICRIT-HRMS). The different atmospheres were compared in terms of generated ions, ion intensities and fragmentation during ionization. Measurements of reactant ions were performed for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. All 15 compound classes were mostly softly ionized. For most compound classes and atmospheres, protonation is the dominant ionization mode. The highest number of compounds ionized via protonation was observed in dry nitrogen, followed by room air and humid nitrogen. The study should work as a guideline for the choice of atmosphere for specific compound classes and the interpretation of spectra generated under a specific atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Weber
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Plasmion GmbH, 86167 Augsburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Haisch
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
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2
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Jiang K, Yu Z, Wei Z, Cheng S, Wang H, Yan Z, Shan L, Huang J, Yang B, Shu J. Direct detection of acetonitrile at the pptv level with photoinduced associative ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2023; 15:368-376. [PMID: 36597774 DOI: 10.1039/d2ay01865a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Photoionization mass spectrometry (PI-MS) has become a versatile tool in the real-time analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the atmosphere or exhaled breath. However, some key species, e.g., acetonitrile, are hard to measure due to their higher ionization energies than photon energy. In this study, the direct and sensitive detection of gaseous acetonitrile based on a photoinduced associative ionization (PAI) reaction was investigated with a laboratory-built PAI time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PAI-TOFMS). By doping CH2Cl2 in the photoionization ion source, the mass signal of acetonitrile that cannot be effectively obtained by photoionization appeared with an extremely high intensity through the PAI reaction between acetonitrile, CH2Cl2, and residual H2O in the system. Though the moisture in the sample gas has an evident impact on the detection efficiency of acetonitrile, with a relative signal intensity decreasing from 100% under dry conditions to 60% at saturated relative humidity, excellent detection sensitivity was still obtained for gaseous acetonitrile in different matrixes. The sensitivity calibration experiment showed that the detection sensitivities of acetonitrile in N2 buffer gas, exhaled gas, and outdoor air were 682.4 ± 5.2, 17.0 ± 0.7, and 23.9 ± 0.2 counts pptv-1, respectively, with an analysis time of 10 s. The corresponding 3σ LODs reached 0.22, 8.82, and 6.28 pptv, which are equivalent to 0.40, 16.0, and 11.4 ng m-3. The performance of the PAI-TOFMS was first demonstrated by analyzing exhaled acetonitrile from healthy non-smokers and smokers and continuous monitoring of acetonitrile in outdoor air. In summary, this study provides a new and highly sensitive method for the real-time detection of acetonitrile through mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Jiang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhangqi Yu
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhiyang Wei
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shiyu Cheng
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haijie Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zitao Yan
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lixin Shan
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jingyun Huang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bo Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinian Shu
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, People's Republic of China.
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Bouza M, García-Martínez J, Gilbert-López B, Brandt S, García-Reyes JF, Molina-Díaz A, Franzke J. Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ionization Mechanisms: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as a Case of Study. Anal Chem 2022; 95:854-861. [PMID: 36538370 PMCID: PMC9850405 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI) is a versatile tool for small-molecule mass spectrometry applications, helping cover from polar to low polar molecules. However, the plasma gas-phase interactions are highly complex and have been scarcely investigated. The ionization mechanisms of plasmas have long been assumed to be somewhat similar to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). Here, we evaluated the ionization mechanisms of a two-ring DBDI ion source, using different discharge gases to analyze vaporized liquid samples. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were used as model analytes to assess the mechanisms' dominance: protonation, [M + H]+, or radical ion species formation, [M]·+. In the present work, two different ionization trends were observed for APCI and DBDI during the PAH analysis; the compounds with proton affinities (PA) over 856 kJ/mol were detected as [M + H]+ when APCI was used as ionization source. Meanwhile, independently of the PA, DBDI showed the prevalence of charge exchange reactions. The addition of dopants in the gas-phase region shifted the ionization mechanisms toward charge exchange reactions, facilitating the formation of [M]·+ ion species, showing anisole a significant boost of the PAH radical ion species signals, over nine times for Ar-Prop-DBDI analysis. The presence of high-energy metastable atoms (e.g., HeM) with high ionization potentials (IE = 19.80 eV) did not show boosted PAH abundances or extensive molecule fragmentation. Moreover, other species in the plasma jet region with closer and more appropriate IE, such as N2 B3Πg excited molecules, are likely responsible for PAH Penning ionization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Bouza
- Analytical
Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071Jaén, Spain,. Phone: +34 953 212758
| | - Julio García-Martínez
- Analytical
Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071Jaén, Spain
| | - Bienvenida Gilbert-López
- Analytical
Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071Jaén, Spain
| | - Sebastian Brandt
- ISAS—Leibniz
Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften, Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Str. 11, 44139Dortmund, Germany
| | - Juan F. García-Reyes
- Analytical
Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071Jaén, Spain
| | - Antonio Molina-Díaz
- Analytical
Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071Jaén, Spain
| | - Joachim Franzke
- ISAS—Leibniz
Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften, Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Str. 11, 44139Dortmund, Germany,. Phone: +49 0231 1392-174
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4
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Zhang Z, Wang H, Yang B, Shu J, Yu Z, Wei Z, Huang J, Jiang K, Guo Y, Li Z. Photoinduced Associative Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for the Sensitive Determination of Monoterpenes. ANAL LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2022.2049284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zuojian Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haijie Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinian Shu
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhangqi Yu
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiyang Wei
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingyun Huang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kui Jiang
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yedong Guo
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Pavlov J, Douce D, Bajic S, Attygalle AB. 1,4-Benzoquinone as a Highly Efficient Dopant for Enhanced Ionization and Detection of Nitramine Explosives on a Single-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Fitted with a Helium-Plasma Ionization (HePI) Source. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2019; 30:2704-2710. [PMID: 31673948 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-019-02339-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Previous investigations have evaluated the efficacy of anions such as NO3-, Cl-, Br-, CH3COO-, and CF3COO- as additives to generate or enhance mass spectrometric signals from explosives under plasma ionization conditions. The results of this study demonstrate that for detecting nitramine-class explosives, such as 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazacyclooctane (HMX), 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) is a highly effective and efficient dopant. When used in conjunction with ambient-pressure negative-ion helium-plasma ionization (HePI), 1,4-benzoquinone readily captures an electron, forming an abundant molecular anion (m/z 108), which upon exposure to vapors of RDX and HMX generates adduct ions of m/z 330 and 404, respectively. The signal level recorded for RDX upon adduction to the radical anion of 1,4-benzoquinone under our experimental conditions was significantly higher than that realized by chloride adduction using dichloromethane (DCM) as the dopant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Pavlov
- Center for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA
| | | | | | - Athula B Attygalle
- Center for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA.
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Abstract
Ambient mass spectrometry has evolved rapidly over the past decade, yielding a plethora of platforms and demonstrating scientific advancements across a range of fields from biological imaging to rapid quality control. These techniques have enabled real-time detection of target analytes in an open environment with no sample preparation and can be coupled to any mass analyzer with an atmospheric pressure interface; capabilities of clear interest to the defense, customs and border control, transportation security, and forensic science communities. This review aims to showcase and critically discuss advances in ambient mass spectrometry for the trace detection of explosives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Forbes
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Measurement Science Division, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
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7
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Rapid identification and desorption mechanisms of nitrogen-based explosives by ambient micro-fabricated glow discharge plasma desorption/ionization (MFGDP) mass spectrometry. Talanta 2017; 167:75-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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8
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JIANG DD, PENG LY, ZHOU QH, CHEN C, LIU JW, WANG S, LI HY. Quantitative Detection of Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine in Complex Matrix by Dopant-assisted Photoionization Ion Mobility Spectrometry. CHINESE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s1872-2040(16)60972-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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9
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Shan B, Liu Y, Shi R, Jin S, Li L, Chen S, Shu Q. Squaramide-based lab-on-a-molecule for the detection of silver ion and nitroaromatic explosives. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra18754k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A squaramide based lab-on-a-molecule showed selective absorption enhancement and emission quenching towards Ag+ and nitroaromatic explosives, respectively in aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Shan
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
| | - Yunfei Liu
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
| | - Rui Shi
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
| | - Shaohua Jin
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
| | - Lijie Li
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
| | - Shusen Chen
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
| | - Qinghai Shu
- School of Material Science and Engineering
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- 100081 Beijing
- China
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