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Title: Proton Transfer Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

Abstract

The Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTRMS) measures gas-phase compounds in ambient air and headspace samples before using chemical ionization to produce positively charged molecules, which are detected with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. This ionization method uses a gentle proton transfer reaction method between the molecule of interest and protonated water, or hydronium ion (H3O+), to produce limited fragmentation of the parent molecule. The ions produced are primarily positively charged with the mass of the parent ion, plus an additional proton. Ion concentration is determined by adding the number of ions counted at the molecular ion’s mass-to-charge ratio to the number of air molecules in the reaction chamber, which can be identified according to the pressure levels in the reaction chamber. The PTRMS allows many volatile organic compounds in ambient air to be detected at levels from 10–100 parts per trillion by volume (pptv). The response time is 1 to 10 seconds.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
DOE Office of Science Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI Identifier:
1251396
Report Number(s):
DOE/SC-ARM-Tr-160
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-7601830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; gas-phase compounds; volatile organic compounds; proton affinity; proton transfer reaction

Citation Formats

Watson, Thomas B. Proton Transfer Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.2172/1251396.
Watson, Thomas B. Proton Transfer Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1251396
Watson, Thomas B. 2016. "Proton Transfer Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1251396. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1251396.
@article{osti_1251396,
title = {Proton Transfer Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer},
author = {Watson, Thomas B.},
abstractNote = {The Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTRMS) measures gas-phase compounds in ambient air and headspace samples before using chemical ionization to produce positively charged molecules, which are detected with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. This ionization method uses a gentle proton transfer reaction method between the molecule of interest and protonated water, or hydronium ion (H3O+), to produce limited fragmentation of the parent molecule. The ions produced are primarily positively charged with the mass of the parent ion, plus an additional proton. Ion concentration is determined by adding the number of ions counted at the molecular ion’s mass-to-charge ratio to the number of air molecules in the reaction chamber, which can be identified according to the pressure levels in the reaction chamber. The PTRMS allows many volatile organic compounds in ambient air to be detected at levels from 10–100 parts per trillion by volume (pptv). The response time is 1 to 10 seconds.},
doi = {10.2172/1251396},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1251396}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}