Immobilized metal-ion chelating capillary microreactor for peptide mapping analysis of proteins by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry

Peptide mass mapping analysis, utilizing a regenerable enzyme microreactor with metal-ion chelated adsorption of enzyme, combined with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was developed. Different procedures from the conventional approaches were adopted to immobilize the chelator onto the silica supports, that is, the metal chelating agent of iminodiacetic acid (IDA) was reacted with glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GLYMO) before its immobilization onto the inner wall of the fused-silica capillary pretreated with NH4HF2. The metal ion of copper and subsequently enzyme was specifically adsorbed onto the surface to form the immobilized enzyme capillary microreactor, which was combined with MALDI-TOF-MS to apply for the mass mapping analysis of nL amounts of protein samples. The results revealed that the peptide mapping could routinely be generated from 0.5 pmol protein sample in 15 min at 50degreesC, even 20 fmol cytochrome c could be well digested and detected.

Multiphoton ionization of pyrrole-water mixed clusters

Multiphoton ionization of the hydrogen,bonded pyrrole-water clusters (C4H5N)(n)(H2O)(m) is studied with a reflectron-time of flight mass spectrometer at 355 mn. With increasing partial concentration of pyrrole in a gas mixture source, a series of poly-pyrrole-water binary-mixed cluster ions can be observed, including unprotonated cluster ions [(C4H5N)(x)(H2O)(y)](+), protonated cluster ions [(C4H5N)(x)(H2O)(y)](+) and dehydrogenated cluster ions [(C4H4N)(C4H5N)(x)(H2O)(y)](+). Ab initio calculations of their structures, bond strengths, charge distributions and reaction energies are carried out. Stable structures of these clusters are obtained from the calculations. A probable formation mechanism of the cluster ions [(C4H5N)(x)(H2O)(y)](+), [(C4H5N)(x)(H2O)(y)]H+ and [(C4H4N)(C4H5N)(x) (H2O)(y)](+) is supposed to be the ionization of clusters followed by dissociation.

Multiphoton ionization and ab initio calculation studies of pyridine-water mixed clusters using time of flight mass spectrometer

Multiphoton ionization of binary mixed clusters (C5H5N)(x)-(H2O)(y) at 532, 355 and 266 nm laser wavelengths has been investigated using TOF mass spectrometer. The experiments showed that almost all the products were protonated ions, At 532 and 355 nm, the products were mainly protonated pyridine clusters (C5H5N)(n)-H+, while at 266 nm, mixed binary cluster ions (C5H5N)(m)- (H2O)(n)-H+ appeared. It was found that the abundance of the [(C5H5N)(3)-H2O-H](+) ions was abnormally high. The calculation indicated that the ion [(C5H5N)(3)-H2O-H](+) is Of a kind of magic number structures with C-3v symmetry. A stepwise reaction mechanism is suggested that photoionization is followed by dissociation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using porous silicon and silica gel as matrix

Porous silicon powder and silica gel particles have been applied as inorganic matrices for the analysis of small molecules in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). In contrast to conventional MALDI-TOFMS, the signal interference of low-molecular analytes by the matrix has been eliminated. Almost no fragmentations of the analytes were observed. Effects of various factors, such as the particle and pore size, the suspending solution, and sample preparation procedures, on the intensity of mass spectra have been investigated. The pore structure of the inorganic matrix and penetration of the analytes into the pores must be optimized for effective desorption and ionization of the analytes. Matrices (DHB and HCCA) were covalently bound to silica gel for improvement of spectrum intensity. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dynamics of excited OCS investigated by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization

The predissociation decay behavior of molecule carbonyl sulfide (OCS) has been investigated by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy using the pump-probe technique of dichroic femtosecond lasers in real time. The lifetime of excited OCS around 74 720 cm(-1) by two-photon absorption of 268 nm, corresponding to upsilon(1)=1 of the Rydberg state [(2)Pi(1/2)]4ppi((1)Sigma(+)), is directly determined to be tau(D)=1071+/-11 fs. This picosecond decay process indicates that the excited state is predissociative. The temporal information of dissociation enriches the knowledge of the potential-energy surface of the associative excited state.

Studies on the stability of diester-diterpenoid alkaloids from the genus Aconitum L. by high performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI/MSn)

The stability of diester-diterpenoid alkaloids (DDA) from plants of the genus Aconitum L. has been studied in different solvents and pH buffers. The HPLC/ESIMS method for analysing the concentration of DDA was established and DDA's decomposition products were elucidated by HPLC/ESI-MS/MSn. In different solvents, e.g. dichloromethane, ether, methanol and distilled water, the decomposition pathways of DDA are quite different and their difference in stabilities depends on the difference of their structures, in which substituents at the N atom and substituents at C-3 are different. The pyrolytic products of DDA, such as deacetoxy aconitine-type alkaloids, have been observed in the above solvents, whereas 8-methoxy-14-benzoyl aconitine-type alkaloids have been obtained only in methanol.