Improving Performance Characteristics of Hyphenated Preconcentrator GC Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry: A "Gold Standard" for Sensor Development

奥罗诺的缅因州大学（UMO）的Touradj Solouki教授得到了分析和表面化学计划的支持，以研究电喷雾电离傅里叶变换离子回旋共振（ESI-FT-ICR）质谱仪中分析物的低温聚焦。 为了克服FT-ICR的灵敏度问题，Solouki教授在他的装置中增加了预浓缩（PC）气相色谱（GC）步骤。 这项探索性研究小额资助的目标是增加一个额外的设备：GC之后的低温聚焦器。 预计这将提高检测限两个数量级，质量分辨能力的5-10倍。 然后，PI将确定传感器开发的生物标志物，并建立“金标准”，以评估传感器设备的分析性能。大学生和研究生参与了这项研究。质谱法正在发展成为一种几乎“通用的检测器”，并已被用于检测化学和生物武器等物质的痕量。 在这项研究中开发的仪器，虽然由于尺寸和成本而不能直接作为传感器，但可以帮助开发低成本，精确的传感器。 因此，它在国家安全以及许多其他医疗和环境应用中具有重要意义。

Professor Touradj Solouki of the University of Maine at Orono (UMO) is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to investigate cryofocusing of analytes in an Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (ESI-FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. To overcome sensitivity problems of FT-ICR, Professor Solouki has added a pre-concentration (PC) gas chromatograph (GC) step to his setup. The goal of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research is to add an additional device: a cryofocuser after the GC. This is predicted to improve the detection limit by two orders of magnitude, and mass resolving power by a factor of 5-10. The PI will then identify biomarkers for sensor development and establish a "gold standard" to evaluate analytical performance of sensor devices. Undergraduate and graduate students participate in the research.Mass spectrometry is being developed as an almost "universal detector" and has been utilized to detect trace amounts of substances such as chemical and biological weapons. The instrument being developed in this research, while not fieldable as a sensor directly due to size and cost, can aid in the development of low cost, accurate sensors. It is thus of interest in national security, as well as a host of other medical and environmental applications.