Abstract
The outgassing of plasticizers from Buna-N and Viton o-rings under vacuum lead to undesired ion-molecule chemistry in an Electrospray Quadrupole Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer. In experiments with the helium bath gas pressure >1.2 mTorr, or whenever analyte ions were stored for >100 ms, extensive loss of analyte ions by proton transfer or adduction with o-ring plasticizers bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate occurred. A temporary solution to this contamination problem was found to be overnight refluxing in hexane of all the o-rings in the vacuum system. This procedure alleviated this plasticizer contamination for ∼100 hours of operation. These results, and those that lead to identification of the contamination as plasticizers outgassing from o-rings are described.
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Verge, K.M., Agnes, G.R. Plasticizer contamination from vacuum system o-rings in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. J Am Soc Spectrom 13, 901–905 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1044-0305(02)00386-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1044-0305(02)00386-0