TOF mass Spectrometry

Question 1

What are the stages of TOF?

Answer 1

1. Vapourisation
2. Ionisation
3. Acceleration
4. Deflection or drift
5. Detection

Question 2

Describe what happens at each stage in TOF.

Answer 2

Atoms are vapourised.

1. Ionisation - a stream of electrons is bombarded at the atoms knocking off an electron turning them into ions.
2. Acceleration - ions are passed through negatively charged slit which focuses and accelerates ions into a beam.So that they have the same kinetic energy.
3. Deflection - ions are deflected through magnetic field, which is determined by the m/z of each ion. Ions are separated here.
4. Detection - ions are detected - light ions are faster and detected first.