Organic solvent and temperature-enhanced ion chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry for the determination of low molecular weight organic and inorganic anions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Organic solvent and temperature-enhanced ion chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry for the determination of low molecular weight organic and inorganic anions

AU - Gilchrist, Elizabeth S.

AU - Nesterenko, Pavel N.

AU - Smith, Norman W.

AU - Barron, Leon P.

PY - 2015/3/20

Y1 - 2015/3/20

N2 - There has recently been increased interest in coupling ion chromatography (IC) to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to enable highly sensitive and selective analysis. Herein, the first comprehensive study focusing on the direct coupling of suppressed IC to HRMS without the need for post-suppressor organic solvent modification is presented. Chromatographic selectivity and added HRMS sensitivity offered by organic solvent-modified IC eluents on a modern hyper-crosslinked polymeric anion-exchange resin (IonPac AS18) are shown using isocratic eluents containing 5-50. mM hydroxide with 0-80% methanol or acetonitrile for a range of low molecular weight anions (<165. Da). Comprehensive experiments on IC thermodynamics over a temperature range between 20-45. °C with the eluent containing up to 60% of acetonitrile or methanol revealed markedly different retention behaviour and selectivity for the selected analytes on the same polymer based ion-exchange resin. Optimised sensitivity with HRMS was achieved with as low as 30-40% organic eluent content. Analytical performance characteristics are presented and compared with other IC-MS based works. This study also presents the first application of IC-HRMS to forensic detection of trace low-order anionic explosive residues in latent human fingermarks.

AB - There has recently been increased interest in coupling ion chromatography (IC) to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to enable highly sensitive and selective analysis. Herein, the first comprehensive study focusing on the direct coupling of suppressed IC to HRMS without the need for post-suppressor organic solvent modification is presented. Chromatographic selectivity and added HRMS sensitivity offered by organic solvent-modified IC eluents on a modern hyper-crosslinked polymeric anion-exchange resin (IonPac AS18) are shown using isocratic eluents containing 5-50. mM hydroxide with 0-80% methanol or acetonitrile for a range of low molecular weight anions (<165. Da). Comprehensive experiments on IC thermodynamics over a temperature range between 20-45. °C with the eluent containing up to 60% of acetonitrile or methanol revealed markedly different retention behaviour and selectivity for the selected analytes on the same polymer based ion-exchange resin. Optimised sensitivity with HRMS was achieved with as low as 30-40% organic eluent content. Analytical performance characteristics are presented and compared with other IC-MS based works. This study also presents the first application of IC-HRMS to forensic detection of trace low-order anionic explosive residues in latent human fingermarks.

KW - Anions

KW - High resolution mass spectrometry

KW - Ion chromatography

KW - Organic solvent

KW - Temperature

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923886369&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.aca.2015.01.031

DO - 10.1016/j.aca.2015.01.031

M3 - Article

SN - 0003-2670

VL - 865

SP - 83

EP - 91

JO - ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA

JF - ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA

ER -