Mass Spec 1&2 (Flo-1) Flashcards
Who showed that electron had a m/z ratio?
Briefly outline his method.
Sir J.J Thompson - used cathode ray tubes to show that electrons were deflected by magnetic and electric fields relative to m/z.
What are the two properties that make mass spec so powerful?
- Sensitivity (structural information from femtomoles)
- Can handle complex mixtures of sample (no purification required)
What are the 3 basic arts of a MSR?
- Ion source
- Mass analyser
- Detector
What is the best way to visualise data?
Spectrum
In a mass spectrum what intensity on the graph is given to the highest peak?
100% intensity- this can be altered if you want to zoom in on a certain section
What are the 3 types of ion source?
- Electron Impact (EI)
- Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption ionisation (MALDI)
- Electrospray Ionisation (ESI)
What are the soft techniques of Ionisation?
ES and MALDI
What is meant by a soft ionisation technique?
Ionisation which doesn’t result in fragmentation of the molecule.
What mass range can Electron Impact ionise?
Why is fragmentation of molecules caused in Electron ionisation?
The system provides excess energy to the molecules causing fragmentation. (Bond Energy of average biomolecule = 5eV, electron beam provides 70eV)
What are the two ways of generating gas phase molecules in EI?
- Sample on metal and heat
- Couple MSR to gas chromatographer
How does EI generate ions from gas phase molecules?
Stream of electron beam focused by magnets come into close proximity with sample, repelling electrons from the molecules.
Specifically why does EI cause fragmentation of the gas phase molecules?
There is a large excess of energy provided. The electron beam has an energy of 70eV (electron volts) and the average biomolecule has 5eV in its bonds.
Where do the electrons in the EI electron beam from?
Tungsten or Rhenium
What type of ions are generated by EI?
Radical Cation
Which ionisation techniques are performed in vacuum?
ALL 3 OF THEM
What is used to direct the cations from EI into the MSR?
Strong positive repeller plate
MALDI uses energy pulses of laser to generate gas phase ions. True or False?
True
What does the crystalline sample produced in the first step of MALDI consist of?
Solid phase biological sample embedded in the matrix
What factor do you have to consider before choosing your matrix in MALDI?
The matrix has to have a maximum of absorption near the wavelength of the laser
What type of ions are generated by MALDI?
Positive and negative, but these have to be analysed separately.
What is used to direct the ions from MALDI into the MSR?
An appropriate repeller plate is used - charge depending on whether you want to analyse anions or cations
What is the modern laser used for MALDI? Why is it better?
Solid State UV laser - higher repetition rate (0.5-1Hz)
What is the wavelength of the Solid State UV laser?
355nm
What is the older laser used for MALDI? Why is it not as good?
Nitrogen gas UV laser - lower repetition rate (1-20Hz)
What is the wavelength of Nitrogen gas UV laser?
337nm
What would you use a Alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamin (CHCA) matrix to embed?
Peptides and proteins
What would you use a 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHB) matrix to embed?
Carbohydrates
What was the problem with MALDI 30/40 years ago?
Ionising from solid phase (3D lattice).
Ions near the surface are ionised first and have more energy. More energy ruired to ionise molecules further down.
So ions with same mass will have different speeds.
What is delayed extraction in MALDI?
Delaying the potential on the repeller plate to have discrete packages of ions fired with the same and m/z ratio?