Novel applications of electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

• Main Author: Slater, P. S.
• Published: Swansea University 1998
• Subjects: 543.5
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.639056

Chapters one and two introduce the theory behind electrospray ionisation. Chapter three presents detailed research related to the application of electrospray mass spectrometry to polysulphonates. The correlation between poor sensitivity and the degree of salt contamination held by complex sulphonated compounds is outlined and the initial attempts to remove the salt contamination by different methods discussed. The ability of alkyl-amines to eliminate salt contamination is also discussed. Chapter four discusses direct sample treatment with alkyl-amines, and how closer analysis reveals the presence of alkyl-amine adducts on the decontaminated polysulphonate ions. Further investigations are reported, leading to the discovery that the number of alkyl-amine adducts correlates with the number of sulphonate groups present on the analyte. An ionisation mechanism is also discussed. Chapter five investigates the application of surfactants in electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. The implications of this theory are discussed, and a mechanism proposed based on extensive experimental and literature research. Chapter six discusses the research performed on a selection of polyphosphated compounds. The improvement observed with treatment by alkyl-amines, the lack of alkyl-amine adduction, and how this observation suggests the theory of bias ion-pairing between the three compound classes discussed so far, is considered. Chapter seven details the research performed into the high performance liquid chromatography of a selection of polyphosphates, and the use of diethylamine as an ion-pairing reagent to assist the separation of these compounds. Chapter eight discusses the research performed on polysulphated-oligo-saccharides, utilising the technique of the sulphate groups. This chapter introduces the electrospray of carbohydrates by investigating the effect of mass spectrometer tuning parameters on the spectra of simple oligosaccharides. The ultimate goal of this chapter is the analysis of glycoaminoglycans, such as chrondroitin sulphate A, and heparin.