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A neutral loss experiment
| This is a typical application of a triple quadrupole instrument. The idea is to search in
a mixture for chemicals that have some neutral side chain, for instance one or more sugars.
We know what these moieties weigh.
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| Therefore we scan the first mass filter of the triple quad to look for all masses
in order. In the second quad, the chemical fragments, losing its neutral side chain.
We set the third quadrupole to act as a mass filter looking for things
one neutral side chain less in mass. Thus we only see things that fragmented
proving that they posessed a neutral side chain of the correct mass.
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The diagram shows the two scans used by the two mass filters. With time, each looks
for different masses, but they are coordinated so there is always one neutral loss
between them.
It is possible to simulate an experiment of this type in an ion trap instrument. |