Optimizing Ion Throughput and Separation Efficiency for Robust Ion Chemistry in Planar Ion Guides

Optimizing Ion Throughput and Separation Efficiency for Robust Ion Chemistry in Planar Ion Guides

Brian Clowers
Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
Washington State University

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
9:00 a.m.

In-person: C2-361

Online:Teams

Abstract: Impacting quality control efforts, statistical confidence, and signal-to-noise ratio for many analytical techniques, separation science is foundational across disciplines. While the capacity to isolate target chemical species and their associated signals has a direct bearing on decision-making, traditional workflows using mass spectrometry (MS) struggle to capture isomeric heterogeneity in complex mixtures. Using the extraordinary power of a multi-cycle, gas-phase separation technique based on planar ion guides comprised of printed circuit boards, we demonstrate a new multiplexing strategy to maximize ion throughput to augment traditional liquid chromatography-MS experiments to quantify isomeric species and expand analytical orthogonality. While isomeric separation is a key objective for this new ion manipulation technique, the digital control of and storage of ion populations is also directly compatible with additional analytical methodologies to capture analyte structure using cryogenic tagging infrared spectroscopy. In addition to detailing the experimental journey towards realizing such an experiment, this seminar will highlight the capacity to probe ion solvation and site-specific hydrogen-deuterium exchange rates. With isomeric metabolites and comparatively simple peptides serving as model systems, the development of next-generation ion mobility-mass spectrometry platforms offers an unprecedented opportunity to isolate, store, and transform molecular species with implications spanning across disciplines.