Single Droplet Electrospray Ionization

描述（由申请人提供）： 我们建议开发新一代质谱仪器， 极大地提高了灵敏度，接近单分子水平;极大地 增强分析复杂混合物和多亚基的能力 蛋白质复合物这里介绍的研究重点是开发一种新的 利用单个带电液滴作为离子的飞行时间质谱仪 与空气动力学透镜组合以将离子聚焦到 质谱仪的飞行时间区域的中心轴。单个 液滴将由压电分配器产生并传输 通过空气动力学透镜，在那里它们将被去溶剂化以产生分析物 离子。空气动力学透镜系统将取代标准的撇油器， 碰撞冷却系统通常用于ESI-TOF。的事实 离子将沿着单个限定的轨迹行进，而不是沿着 如在常规电喷雾中的多个轨迹将允许 离子进入质谱仪的收集效率大大提高 增加 离开空气动力学透镜的离子将被静电 按常规矩阵分析加速和飞行时间质量 辅助激光解吸电离（MALDI）质谱。计算 在理论上可以达到的检测效率的增加， 方法表明，可以实现高达10 exp 12倍的增加; 尽管实际的考虑可能会限制可实现的增长，但它似乎 很明显，预期会有非常可观的灵敏度增益。 此外，所提出的仪器大大简化了光谱仪 设计，这应该使一个简单的，坚固的， 高性价比质谱仪。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop a new generation of mass spectrometric instruments with vastly increased sensitivity, approaching the single molecule level; greatly enhanced capability for the analysis of complex mixtures and multisubunit protein complexes. The research presented here focuses on development of a new time-of-flight mass spectrometer which utilizes single charged droplets as ion sources in combination with an aerodynamic lens to focus the ions onto the center axis of the time of flight region of the mass spectrometer. Single droplets will be generated by a piezoelectric dispenser and transmitted through an aerodynamic lens where they will be desolvated to produce analyte ions. The aerodynamic lens system will replace the standard nozzle-skimmer and collisional cooling systems commonly employed in ESI-TOF. The fact that the ions will travel along a single defined trajectory, rather than along a multitude of trajectories as in conventional electrospray, will permit the collection efficiency of the ions into the mass spectrometer to be greatly increased. Ions exiting the aerodynamic lens will be electrostatically accelerated and time-of-flight mass analyzed as in conventional matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. Calculations of the increase in detection efficiency that in theory is attainable with this approach suggest that as much as a 10exp12 fold increase could be realized; although practical considerations may limit the achievable increase, it seams clear that a very substantial sensitivity gain is to be expected. Additionally, the proposed instrument greatly simplifies the spectrometer design which should make possible the construction of a simple, robust, and cost effective mass spectrometer.