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

缅因州大学奥罗诺分校(UMO)的Touradj Solouki教授得到了分析和表面化学计划的支持，该计划旨在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)气相色谱仪(GC)步骤。这一小笔探索性研究拨款的目标是在GC之后增加一种额外的设备：低温聚焦器。预计这将使检测极限提高两个数量级，质量分辨率提高5-10倍。然后，PI将确定传感器开发的生物标记物，并建立评估传感器设备分析性能的“黄金标准”。本科生和研究生都参与了这项研究。质谱学正在被开发成一种几乎“通用的探测器”，并已被用于检测微量物质，如化学和生物武器。这项研究中开发的仪器，虽然由于尺寸和成本的原因不能直接作为传感器现场使用，但可以帮助开发低成本、准确的传感器。因此，它关系到国家安全以及其他许多医疗和环境应用。

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.