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Speciation effects of solvent chemistry on the analysis of drugs and explosives by electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry

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International Journal for Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Abstract

The present work highlights the effect that solvent chemistry has on analytes being detected when utilizing electrospray ionization in ion mobility mass spectrometers. Various studies were conducted involving both positive and negative mode ionization. The enhancements observed by utilizing different levels of acid modifiers as well as the different ionic species of analytes being formed and detected are presented. The makeup of the electrospray solvent determined whether the ionic species would be protonated, sodium adducted, ammonium adducted, proton abstracted or chlorinated. Addition of solvent modifiers such as acids in the positive mode, and organic halides in the negative mode improved signal strength of analytes as well as improved spray characteristics that also decreased signal variability. The ability to perform simultaneous ionization of complex mixtures was also demonstrated through the use of solvent modifiers thereby allowing electrospray ionization ion mobility mass spectrometry the ability to simultaneously analyze complicated mixtures very quickly (millisecond separations).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Howard Holness & Jose Almirall

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  1. Howard Holness
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  2. Jose Almirall
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Correspondence to Jose Almirall.

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Holness, H., Almirall, J. Speciation effects of solvent chemistry on the analysis of drugs and explosives by electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry. Int. J. Ion Mobil. Spec. 16, 237–246 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12127-013-0136-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12127-013-0136-2

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