AN ATOM CLUSTER ION DESORPTION SOURCE

对复杂有机化合物进行表征的必要性 生物技术的应用，如蛋白质测序，已经把 对人物刻画发展的严格要求 工具。团簇离子形成和离子研究的新进展 轰击脱附理论认为团簇离子 对复杂分子的轰击可能提供一种机制 表征复杂物种并显著提高其能力 对蛋白质进行测序。具体目标是：1)开发一种 产生同核原子团簇密度的超音速喷嘴 高达10/15 cm-3；2)修改飞行时间离子引出源 适应原子团簇的激光电离；3)评估 用改进的粒子群方法计算团簇离子密度和粒子大小分布 飞行时间质谱计；4)论证了可行性 解吸高相对分子质量的有机分子。这个 这些目标的成功实现预计将导致 多功能团簇离子源，可解吸中性和电离高 分子量有机化合物，如多肽和多肽 锁链。分子或分子离子可以进一步 利用现有的质谱学和激光进行表征 技术商业潜力包括开发 出售简化的原子团簇离子解吸源(酸) 和开发用于分析的应用市场 蛋白质测序的表征服务。

The need to characterize complex organic compounds for biotechnology applications, such as protein sequencing, has placed stringent requirements on the development of characterization tools. Recent developments in cluster ion formation and ion bombardment desorption theory suggest that cluster ion bombardment of complex molecules may provide a mechanism to characterize complex species and significantly improve the ability to sequence proteins. The specific aims are to: 1) develop a supersonic nozzle to produce homonuclear atom cluster densities up to 10/15cm-3; 2) modify a time-of-flight ion extraction source to accomodate the laser ionization of atom clusters; 3) evaluate the cluster ion densities and size distributions using a modified time-of-flight mass spectrometer; 4) demonstrate the feasibility of desorbing high molecular weight organic molecules. The successful completion of these aims is expected to result in a versatile cluster ion source to desorb neutral and ionized high molecular weight organic compounds, such as peptides and peptide chains. The molecules or molecular ions may be further characterized using existing mass spectrometric and laser technology. Commercial potential includes the development for sale of a simplified atom cluster ion desorption source (ACIDS) and the development of an applications market for analytical characterization services for protein sequencing.