电-流体力学辅助、高效离子传输小型质谱仪大气压接口

大气压接口是质谱仪的一个重要组成部分，尤其在小型质谱仪中，高效离子传输大气压界面已经成为突破仪器的灵敏度、功耗、尺寸等性能瓶颈的关键技术。本课题欲通过交叉学科理论建模、仿真与实验研发小型质谱仪高效离子传输大气压接口。项目将首先建立一套基于新的电-流体力学模型的多学科仿真方法，以首次实现对离子在通过高气压梯度条件下损耗路径的研究（从开放式离子源到质谱仪内部）。基于此方法，设计集成离子光学与气体整流技术的、小型质谱仪大气压接口。项目拟创新性的运用大气压条件下的离子聚焦透镜增大离子从离子源到质谱仪入口的采集效率，同时利用气体整流设备与真空条件下的离子光学透镜减小由超音速膨胀效应带来的离子二次损耗。本研究如获成功，将不仅为新型、高灵敏度小型质谱仪的研发奠定基础，电-流体力学方法还可以直接应用于大型质谱仪器的研发，促进高性能质谱仪器的原始创新与整体发展。

Atmospheric pressure interface (API) is one of the key components in a mass spectrometry (MS) system. Instrument sensitivity, power consumption and size highly depend on the ion transfer and gas flow limiting capabilities of its API, especially for miniature MS systems. In this work, multi-disciplinary simulation and experimental methods will be utilized to develop an electro-hydrodynamic assisted API for miniature MS systems. For the first time, gas rectifiers and ion focusing lens in both atmosphere (760 Torr) and vacuum (1-10 Torr) regions will be integrated on the API to increase the ion collecting efficiency from ion source to MS inlet and the ion transfer efficiency from MS inlet to mass analyzers. During the API design process, a multi-disciplinary simulation method, electro-hydrodynamic simulation, will be developed and used to characterize ion-loss pathways during the ion transfer process. The success of this project will not only induce innovative miniature MS instruments, the electro-hydrodynamic simulation will also benefit the general development of MS instruments.