Characterization of compounds by time-of-flight measurement utilizing random fast ions
An apparatus is described for characterizing the mass of sample and daughter particles, comprising a source for providing sample ions; a fragmentation region wherein a fraction of the sample ions may fragment to produce daughter ion particles; an electrostatic field region held at a voltage level sufficient to effect ion-neutral separation and ion-ion separation of fragments from the same sample ion and to separate ions of different kinetic energy; a detector system for measuring the relative arrival times of particles; and processing means operatively connected to the detector system to receive and store the relative arrival times and operable to compare the arrival times with times detected at the detector when the electrostatic field region is held at a different voltage level and to thereafter characterize the particles. Sample and daughter particles are characterized with respect to mass and other characteristics by detecting at a particle detector the relative time of arrival for fragments of a sample ion at two different electrostatic voltage levels. The two sets of particle arrival times are used in conjunction with the known altered voltage levels to mathematically characterize the sample and daughter fragments. In an alternative embodiment the present invention may be used as a detector for a conventional mass spectrometer. In this embodiment, conventional mass spectrometry analysis is enhanced due to further mass resolving of the detected ions. 8 figs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-82
- Assignee:
- Iowa State Univ. Research Foundation, Inc., Ames, IA (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4818862; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-110856
- OSTI ID:
- 7019941
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 21 Oct 1987
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETERS
DESIGN
SAMPLE PREPARATION
DATA PROCESSING
IONIZATION
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
DYNAMIC MASS SPECTROMETERS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PROCESSING
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
TIME-OF-FLIGHT SPECTROMETERS
400102* - Chemical & Spectral Procedures
440800 - Miscellaneous Instrumentation- (1990-)