Mass Spectrometry

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Stefan A. Pieconzonka and Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin have profiled diverse beer samples by rapid flow-injection analysis (FIA) Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FTICR–MS). Here, they discuss their approach to this analysis, along with the significance of the Maillard Reaction (MR) in beer quality and analysis.

Interest in three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is expanding rapidly. What impact can it have in mass spectrometry? Robert Winkler, of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies Irapuato, in Guanajuato, Mexico, is exploring this question. We recently spoke with Prof. Winkler about this work.

Analysis of extractables and leachables (E&L) from plastic packaging is of great importance for pharmaceutical product safety. Accurate and rapid identification of unknown compounds in E&L is often complex and challenging. To address this challenge, we demonstrate a quick method for oligomer determination using LC–QTOF-MS.

Supplementing short pulse lasers with laser postionization increases ionization yields for desorption and ablation of solid samples in mass spectrometry. Here, we give an overview of the mechanisms and technical requirements for molecular photoionization in femtosecond (fs) laser desorption postionization mass spectrometry (LDPI-MS).

Using ion mobility, analytes that have the same molecular mass can be separated by their shape, centers of mass, and collision cross section, but challenges such as ion loss can still occur. A new development in ion mobility separation, high-resolution ion mobility (HRIM), addresses such problems, and is particularly well suited to challenging applications, such as glycosylation monitoring of biological drugs and vitamin D analysis.

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) allows much greater resolution of peaks than is possible in a classical single dimensional separation. For the next development in separations, we employed 2D-LC in two highly orthogonal dimensions of separation with four mass spectrometers for detection, with parallel detection in each dimension. We have further broken ground by using three dimensions of separation with four mass spectrometers, using two parallel second dimensions.

Decomposing animal tissue releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs), of interest in forensic science. We describe the use of GC×GC–qMS/FID retrofitted with a reverse fill/flush (RFF) flow modulator for analyzing these VOCs in a tropical climate.

This article looks at the benefits of combining dynamic headspace sampling (DHS) with capillary GC–TOF-MS as a tool for untargeted analysis of aroma compounds in food and beverages. Applications for the analysis of strawberry yoghurt, chocolate, and red wine are described.