Reduced fragmentation in liquid injection field desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry by use of helium for the thermalization of molecular ions.

Rationale: To exploit the softness of liquid injection field desorption/ionization (LIFDI), the molecular ions, M(+•), need to be transferred from their origin at the field emitter through the mass analyzer without disrupting their integrity. To preserve the molecular ions, ion-activating events like collisions must therefore be avoided. In hybrid quadrupole Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers, however, multiple ion-guiding and ion-trapping events occur prior to mass analysis. The effects thereof compromised initial spectra from a LIFDI and electrospray ionization (ESI) combination (LIFDI-ESI) ion source and, thus, called for refined experimental conditions.

Methods: A hybrid quadrupole FT-ICR instrument equipped with a new LIFDI-ESI combination ion source was used to obtain LIFDI spectra of polystyrene 1050, of 2,3,4-tridodecyloxybenzaldehyde, and of sewing machine oil as well as a field ionization (FI) spectrum of pentafluoroiodobenzene. The abundance of molecular ions, M(+•), was optimized, in particular by variation of the trapping conditions inside the instrument's accumulation RF-hexapole ion trap.

Results: Ion-buffer gas collisions in the instrument's accumulation RF-hexapole ion trap were detrimental to the easy-to-fragment molecular ions of hydrocarbon species, whereas more robust even-electron ions were not affected. Exchanging the instrument's standard supply of argon buffer gas for helium resulted in a remarkable improvement. Together with further adjustments of potentials applied along the ion transfer path, hydrocarbon species could be analyzed.

Conclusions: The use of helium buffer gas remarkably improved LIFDI spectra, because the loss of molecular ions by dissociation during transfer from the LIFDI source into the ICR cell was significantly reduced. Hydrocarbon species could be analyzed while fragmentation of ions was avoided for the most part.