A liquid injection field desorption ionization source for the mass spectrometric analysis of non-polar, air-sensitive compounds

质谱是一种高灵敏度的技术，可以快速分析复杂的混合物。从挥发性有机化合物到大量的生物分子，所有种类的分子都可以被分析。然而，有一些类别的化合物是耐分析的，因为它们可能是非极性的并且：（a）具有高分子量;（B）顺磁性;（c）高度空气和湿气敏感性。传统的电离技术对这些化合物的作用很差，UVic的四名研究人员试图通过购买加拿大第一个液体引入场解吸电离（LIFDI）源来解决这一弱点。这项新技术将一种实际上过时的、实验上不方便的技术（FDI）转变为一种快速、现代的材料分析方法，并提供有关化合物的分子量和组成信息，这些化合物已被证明对其他表征方法具有抗性。因此，所有四个申请人都希望不仅能够大大促进和扩大他们目前的研究，而且能够在复杂生物柴油混合物的直接分析、聚硅烷低聚物和顺磁性镧系元素络合物的表征以及稳定自由基的金属络合物的分子结构的测定等不同领域迅速开辟他们和其他人未探索的新领域。

Mass spectrometry is a highly sensitive technique that enables the rapid analysis of complex mixtures. All sorts of molecules can be analysed, from volatile organic compounds to massive biomolecules. However, there are some classes of compound that are resistant to analysis because they may be non-polar and: (a) of high molecular weight; (b) paramagnetic; (c) highly air- and moisture-sensitive. Conventional ionization techniques serve these classes of compound poorly, and four researchers at UVic seek to address this weakness by purchasing Canada's first Liquid Introduction Field Desorption Ionization (LIFDI) source. This new technology transforms a practically obsolete, experimentally inconvenient technique (FDI) into a fast, modern means of analyzing materials and providing molecular weight and compositional information on compounds that have proved resistant to other means of characterization. As such, all four applicants expect to be able to not only greatly facilitate and expand their current research but also to rapidly break new ground unexplored by them and others in areas as diverse as direct analysis of complex biodiesel mixtures, characterization of polysilane oligomers and paramagnetic lanthanide complexes, and the determination of the molecular structure of metal complexes of stable radicals.