Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), which is widely used for separation of glycolipids, oligosaccharides, lipids, and compounds of environmental and pharmaceutical interest, can be readily coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometers, but this arrangement usually compromises mass spectral resolution due to the irregularity of the TLC surface. However, TLC can be coupled to an external ion source MALDI-Fourier transform (FT) MS instrument without compromising mass accuracy and resolution of the spectra. Furthermore, when the FTMS has a vibrationally cooled MALDI ion source, fragile glycolipids can be desorbed from TLC plates without fragmentation, even to the point that desorption of intact molecules from "hot"matrixes such as alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid is possible. In this work, whole brain gangliosides are separated using TLC; the TLC plates are attached directly to the MALDI target, where the gangliosides are desorbed, ionized, and detected in the FTMS with >70 000 resolving power.

Singly protonated, doubly protonated, and sodiated pentaglucosamide (GlcNAc)(5), oligoglucosamines (GlcN)(m)(), and (GlcN)(3)GlcN(3OH14:0) were analyzed in an FTICR mass spectrometer by electron-ion dissociation reactions and compared to collision activation. The general fragmentation mode was found as the asymmetrical sequence fragments (B(n)() and minor C(n)() ion series) with full sequence coverage. Molecular mass information of each glucosamide or glucosamine residue can be readily obtained from the ion series. Fragmentation by electron capture dissociation revealed additional fragmentation of the N-acetyl moiety compared to sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-activated dissociation (SORI-CAD) and electron-induced dissociation (EID). Sodiated GlcNAc(5) molecular adduct ions were analyzed by EID and compared to CAD. Both techniques provided full sequence coverage. EID was more effective, but CAD resulted in the cross-ring ion products (0,2)A(n)() and (2,4)A(n)() for all relevant glucosamide residues.

NI lifetime measurements by means of a modified DEAS instrumentation can provide quantitative data of EA. A simple Arrhenius approximation seems to be adequate to describe the process of electron detachment from molecular anions.

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