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First field application of a thermal desorption resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation single particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the on-line detection of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

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Abstract

The on-line analysis of single aerosol particles with mass spectrometrical methods is an important tool for the investigation of aerosols. Often, a single laser pulse is used for one-step laser desorption/ionisation of aerosol particles. Resulting ions are detected with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. With this method, the detection of inorganic compounds is possible. The detection of more fragile organic compounds and carbon clusters can be accomplished by separating the desorption and the ionisation in two steps, e.g. by using two laser pulses. A further method is, using a heated metal surface for thermal desorption of aerosol particles. If an ultraviolet laser is used for ionisation, a selective ionisation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and alkylated PAH is possible via a resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation process. Laser velocimetry allows individual laser triggering for single particles and additionally delivers information on aerodynamic particle diameters. It was shown that particles deriving from different combustion sources can be differentiated according to their PAH patterns. For example, retene, a C4-alkylated phenanthrene derivative, is a marker for the combustion of coniferous wood. In this paper, the first field application of a thermal desorption resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation single particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer during a measurement campaign in Augsburg, Germany in winter 2010 is presented. Larger PAH-containing particles (i.e. with aerodynamic diameters larger than 1 μm), which are suspected to be originated by re-suspension processes of agglomerated material, were in the focus of the investigation. Due to the low concentration of these particles, an on-line virtual impactor enrichment system was used. The detection of particle-bound PAH in ambient particles in this larger size region was possible and in addition, retene could be detected on several particles, which allows to identify wood combustion as generic source of these particles. The observed diurnal distribution of these larger particles, however, support the origin by traffic induced re-suspension of sedimented/agglomerated material.

TD-REMPI mass spectrum of a single particle from ambient air exhibiting an aerodynamic diameter of 1.3 μm, showing typical PAH masses. The intense peak at m/z = 234 (retene) allows to identify wood combustion as a generic source of this particle

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Acknowledgements

The experimental setup for this work was enabled by the financial support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Science Foundation, grant numbers ZI 764/1-1 and ZI 764/1-2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre, Cooperation Group Comprehensive Molecular Analytics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Markus Oster, Michael Elsasser, Jürgen Schnelle-Kreis & Ralf Zimmermann

  2. Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre, Universität Rostock, Institut für Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Analytische Chemie, Dr.-Lorenz-Weg 1, 18059, Rostock, Germany

    Markus Oster, Michael Elsasser & Ralf Zimmermann

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  1. Markus Oster
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  2. Michael Elsasser
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Correspondence to Ralf Zimmermann.

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Published in the special issue Aerosol Analysis with guest editor Ralf Zimmermann.

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Oster, M., Elsasser, M., Schnelle-Kreis, J. et al. First field application of a thermal desorption resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation single particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the on-line detection of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Anal Bioanal Chem 401, 3173–3182 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5438-9

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