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Facilities
The Thermo-Fischer Ion-trap LC-MS
The Thermo Fischer Scientific LCQ ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source. A Thermo Fischer Scientific Surveyor HPLC system is interfaced to the mass spectrometer for automated LC-MS and LC-MS/MS analyses.
The LCQ is a segmented linear ion trap with improved capacity, trapping efficiency, and scan speed when compared to a 3-dimensional trap. In addition, these features result in sensitivity increases that are approximately 100-fold higher than other mass spectrometers. The LCQ can be set up to collect full scan MS and MSn (n=2-10) data. Advanced scanning modes include data-dependent scans, zoom scans, and ultra zoom scans. Ion mapping experiments can be used to generate full scan, neutral loss, and parent ion maps. Both positive and negative ions can be detected.
The Ion Max electrospray source features an off-axis probe design with interchangeable electrospray ESI and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) probes. A wide range of flow rates can be accommodated, allowing for sample introduction via HPLC, flow injection, or by direct infusion.
The Surveyor HPLC system contains a quaternary, low-pressure mixing pump with vacuum degassing, an autosampler with temperature-controlled tray, a column oven, and a photodiode array detector. Flow rates from 25 to 2000 μl/min can be generated for use with 1 mm, 2.1 mm, and 4.6 mm ID columns.
The mass spectrometer and all peripheral components are controlled through the Xcalibur software.
This instrument can create large "metabolomic" data sets. However, it is a lot more than an HPLC with a mass specific detector on the end. It has a sophisticated mass detector capable of multiple levels of fragmentation (MSn), which makes it an ideal tool for structural work.
Its data-dependant facilities mean that it can choose for itself how best to deploy its fragmentation during a chromatography run. Alternatively it can be set up to create a full tree of fragmentation products from any particular starting chemical.