Novel Ion Optics Boosting the Sensitivity of Proton-Transfer- Reaction - Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-TOFMS)

摘要

High sensitivity, low Limit-of-Detection (LoD), short response time and direct injection have made Proton-Transfer-Reaction - Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) a well-established technology in environmental sciences, food and flavor research, etc. ([1]; and references therein). However, analytical challenges in trace gas detection have become even more demanding, so that the need for higher levels of instrumental performance has continuously grown. One powerful way to meet these demands is the improvement and optimization of the ion transfer system between the PTR ionization region and the TOF mass spectrometer, which can increase the overall sensitivity of the PTR-TOFMS instrument by orders of magnitude. Here we introduce two novel types of PTR-TOFMS instrumentation: One that is equipped with a Quadrupole ion guide (thus we call it PTR-QiTOF [2]) between the reaction region and the TOF analyzer, which drastically improves product ion transmission. The second newly developed instrument is the PTR-TOF 1000 ultra, which is a compact and entirely in-house built TOFMS based PTR device equipped with an ion funnel.