Vacuum Ionization Mass Spectrometry

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Professor Sarah Trimpin of Wayne State University is supported by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI) Program in the Division of Chemistry to explore the recently discovered ion generation method for mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted ionization in vacuum. Mass spectrometric analysis requires the sample molecules to be volatilized and electrically charged (ionized) so that they can be identified according to the way they behave in the magnetic and/or electric field of the instrument. While traditional methods of sample ionization require electron beams, lasers, or other energetic processes, the Trimpin laboratory will develop methods wherein chemical samples can be volatilized and ionized simply by exposure to vacuum conditions. The better we understand how the ion generation processes work the better we can exploit them for biomolecular analysis, the major application of contemporary mass spectrometry. During the course of conducting this research, graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral researchers will gain valuable skills in mass spectrometry instrumentation and its applications in biochemical analysis. The outreach plans include participation in active recruitment of women, members of underrepresented minorities and undergraduates through Wayne State University initiatives to enhance diversity in academic programs.The objectives of the proposed research are organized in three specific aims: (1) to determine the mechanism of matrix-assisted ionization in vacuum (MAIV) and the physical processes that occur when matrices with analytes are exposed to conditions that spontaneously produce analyte ions by studying the fundamentals of ion formation with optical methods, atomic force microscopy, microbalance, and high speed photography; (2) to obtain a predictive understanding of how MAIV matrices function in relation to pressure, temperature and solvent conditions.; and (3) to explore the potential analytical applications of MAIV in biological mass spectrometry, mass spectrometry imaging, and in portable mass spectrometers.