Curie-point pyrolysis atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry: preliminary performance data for three biopolymers

Abstract

A Curie-point pyrolysis Inlet system was interfaced to an atmospherlc pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source on a quadrupole mass spectrometer. erolysis-APCI (Py-APCI) mass spectra of herring DNA, bovine serum aibumln, and bovine liver glycogen were compared and contrasted with low-voltage electron ionization mass spectra obtalned under similar pyrolysis condltlons. Factor analysis of a combined set of APCI and low-voltage electron Ionization (EI) mass spectra separated the spectra according to Ionization technique as well as biopolymer type. Discriminant analysis of mass spectral data categorized according to biopolymer type revealed patterns common to both ionization techniques. These common ionization-independent spectral patterns may eventually have Important applications for modeling and predicting Py-APCI spectra from Py-E1 spectra and vice versa.

Optimization of quartz tube pyrolysis atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry for the generation of bacterial biomarkers

“…These mass clusters most likely arise from the diketopiperazine pyrolysis products from the bacterial proteins 1,. 5,, 7 Peaks at m/z 84 and 86 appear to be nitrogen‐containing side‐group pyrolysis fragments from the amino acid residues of the bacterial protein component 1,. 5,, 7 EI mass spectra of BA spores17,, 18,, 22,, 23 provide molecular ion counterparts to many of the [M + H] + masses observed in the Py‐API mass spectra of BA in Fig.…”

“…Each organism provides clusters of masses centered about m/z 97, 102, 113–116, 123–126 and 146. These mass clusters most likely arise from the diketopiperazine pyrolysis products from the bacterial proteins 1,. 5,, 7 Peaks at m/z 84 and 86 appear to be nitrogen‐containing side‐group pyrolysis fragments from the amino acid residues of the bacterial protein component 1,.…”

“…Pyrolysis (Py) is a relatively simple procedure for the examination of very complex solid samples. Pyrolysis transforms a solid sample into a vapor by rapid heating, and interfacing a pyrolysis probe to an atmospheric pressure ionization (API) source of a mass spectrometer provides for a convenient solid sample processing introduction system 1,. 2 Relatively soft ionization with a minimum of energy transfer to the analyte takes place in API, because a proton transfer is involved in the ionization phenomenon 3,.…”

“…Applying Py‐API‐mass spectrometry to the characterization of biological samples such as biopolymers and bacteria has a limited history 1,. 5–7 Gram‐positive Streptococcus bacteria were investigated for the presence of inherent biological material 7.…”

A combination atmospheric pressure LC/MS:GC/MS ion source: Advantages of dual AP-LC/MS:GC/MS instrumentation

“…Pyrolysis with ionization of the gaseous pyrolysate has also been reported, [27] as has APCI of warfare agent simulants, [28] and organic compounds at the parts per trillion level [29]. Supercritical fluid chromatography has also been interfaced to APCI-MS [30 -32].…”