Mass Spectrometry

Latest News


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.

In the second part of this review of the current state of HIC, some practical considerations are explained, including method development, selection of the phase system, combined salt systems, and possibilities to combine HIC with other chromatographic modes.

Rebecca Gowland and her colleagues in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University in the United Kingdom have tested, for the first time, the applicability of a new method of sex estimation utilizing enamel peptides from a sample of permanent and deciduous teeth at different stages of mineralization, from nonadults of unknown sex, including perinates, and using a minimally destructive acid etching procedure and subsequent nano liquid chromatography– tandem mass spectrometry. She spoke to us about her efforts.

Industrial laboratories have played a major role in innovation and commercialization of new technologies in energy and chemicals. In this special session, Joseph Powell, the Chief Scientist at Shell Oil Company, will present case studies in technology development in biofuels and new energies.

This Monday afternoon session brings together five young leaders in the field of mass spectrometry (MS) to discuss cutting-edge developments in imaging MS technologies. These presentations will be of interest to practitioners of metabolomics, proteomics, imaging, fundamental ion chemistry, and biomedical analyses, as well as the analytical community at large.