Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer for Support of Field Portable Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents

摘要

The proposal entitled 'Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer for Field Portable Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents' sought to construct an electrospray ionization (ESI)/ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) with a time of flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) for chemical and biological warfare agent detection. By using an ESI source for ionization, liquid samples (specifically aqueous samples) containing polar and labile compounds can be sensitively ionized and transferred into the gas phase. The MSlTOFMS interface was designed with the ability to invoke fragmentation of the analytes as they are separated by the IMS. The mobility labeled fragment ions can then be identified by their mass to charge ratios and structural characteristics of the analytes can be determined from the fragment pattern. Based on this mode of analysis, three pieces of identification material can be obtained for each analyte, the mobility, the parent ion mlz value, and the fragmentation pattern. This instrument has the capability to analyze aqueous samples containing chemical warfare agents within a minute. Due to the ability of IMS to measure ion sizes, it is anticipated that IMS can also analyze biological agents. This analytical instrumentation has the potential to analyze the full spectrum of chemical and biological weapons.