Name: how esi turns biomolecules into ions
Uploaded: 2024-12-05T18:32:21.000Z
Duration: 1 min 12 s
Channel: JoVE

Biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids are low volatility compounds with high molecular weights. Conventional electron-impact ionization mass spectrometry faces challenges with such molecules, including severe molecular fragmentation.
Electrospray ionization is an alternative &#34;soft&#34;&#160;ionization method that generates nonradical molecular ions for the mass spectrometry of such biomolecules.
In this method, the sample is mixed with a polar solvent such as methanol, methanol-water, or acetonitrile with or without added salts.
The mixture is sprayed via a high voltage capillary into a vacuum chamber. The rapid evaporation of solvent from the fine spray of charged droplets ultimately leads to the charged gaseous sample molecule.
This charged sample molecule is detected in the mass spectrum as the sum of the sample molecular mass and the masses of the associated ions.
For example, if sodium ions are present in the ionic solution, the spectrum typically features an M+23 peak.

electrospray-ionisatie (esi) massaspectrometrie

Electrospray Ionization (ESI) Mass Spectrometry

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Biomoleculen met een hoger moleculair gewicht zijn niet-vluchtige verbindingen die kunnen ontbinden voordat ze worden geïoniseerd of verdampt tijdens massaanalyse met conventionele elektronenimpactionisatie methoden. Daarom is electrospray-ionisatie (ESI) de favoriete methode voor het verdampen en ioniseren van biomoleculen, omdat het snelle fragmentatie omzeilt en de registratie van massasignalen voor de hele biomolecule mogelijk maakt.
ESI maakt gebruik van elektrische energie om ionen over te brengen van de vloeibare fase van het monster naar de gasfase. Het analytbiomolecuul wordt vooraf gemengd met een ionische vloeistof, een niet-moleculaire verbinding die dient als ionisatiebron. De oplossing wordt door een hoogspanningscapillair gespoten om een ​​fijne aerosol te genereren. Het spanningsverschil dat wordt toegepast tussen het capillair en de ingang van de analysekamer veroorzaakt de beweging van geladen druppels naar de analysekamer. De ionische vloeistof uit de aerosol verdampt tijdens deze beweging, waarbij een variabel geprotoneerd of geïoniseerd analytmolecuul achterblijft. Deze geladen soorten worden gedetecteerd in het massaspectrum op een m/z-waarde die gelijk is aan de som van de moleculaire massa van het analytmolecuul en het moleculaire gewicht van de ionen uit de ionische vloeistof die aan het analytmolecuul is gekoppeld.
De positie van massasignalen varieert afhankelijk van het type kationen dat aanwezig is in de ionische vloeistof. De aanwezigheid van natriumionen in de ionische vloeistof leidt bijvoorbeeld tot een (M+23)-piek in de massaspectra, terwijl de aanwezigheid van een proton resulteert in een (M+1)-piek.
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Electrospray-ionisatie (ESI) massaspectrometrie

Higher molecular weight biomolecules are nonvolatile compounds that may decompose before ionizing or vaporizing during mass analysis with conventional ...

electrospray-ionization-esi-mass-spectrometry

Education

JoVE Core

Analytical Chemistry

Analytische chemie

Unit 1

Mass Spectrometry Fragmentation Methods

Fragmentatiemethoden in de massaspectrometrie

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

KERNTERMEN EN CONCEPTEN

how esi turns biomolecules into ions

Electrospray ionization, or ESI, is a mass spectrometry method used to detect biomolecules that are too large or nonvolatile for conventional electron impact ionization. These molecules may break down before they can ionize or evaporate. ESI helps prevent rapid fragmentation and lets scientists record a mass signal for the whole biomolecule.

ESI uses electrical energy to move ions from the liquid phase into the gas phase. The analyte biomolecule is mixed with an ionic liquid, which is a nonmolecular compound that acts as the ionization source. The solution then passes through a high-voltage capillary and forms a fine aerosol.

A voltage difference between the capillary and the entrance to the analysis chamber pulls the charged droplets toward the chamber. As the droplets travel, the ionic liquid evaporates. This process leaves behind a protonated or otherwise ionized analyte molecule.

The charged species are measured in the mass spectrum by their m/z value, which reflects the analyte’s molecular mass plus the mass of the ions from the ionic liquid attached to it. The peak position depends on which cations are present in the ionic liquid. For example, sodium ions produce an (M+23) peak, while a proton produces an (M+1) peak.

How ESI Turns Biomolecules Into Ions

mass spectrometry: long-chain alkane fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-long-chain-alkane-fragmentation

Mass Spectra of Linear Alkane Chains

Mass spectra of linear alkanes show a clear fragmentation pattern. The molecular ion often breaks at a carbon-carbon bond away from the end of the chain. This cleavage forms a stable carbocation and a stable radical, so the middle of the mass-to-charge plot usually has the strongest signals while the ends are weaker. As each bond breaks, a methyl group is lost and the main peaks in the spectrum appear 14 u apart. Smaller peaks near each main signal can also appear. These come from secondary...

mass spectrometry: branched alkane fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-branched-alkane-fragmentation

Branched Alkanes in Mass Spectra

Branched alkanes in mass spectrometry fragment quickly because branching can create stable carbocations. When cleavage happens at a branching point, a secondary or tertiary carbocation may form. That stability helps explain why the molecular ion peak is often very weak or missing compared with a linear alkane. The lesson uses 2-methylbutane, neopentane, and n-pentane to show how this pattern appears in mass spectra. 2-methylbutane and neopentane break apart to form secondary and tertiary...

mass spectrometry: cycloalkane fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-cycloalkane-fragmentation

Cycloalkane Ions and Mass Peaks

Cycloalkane ions in mass spectrometry often give strong peaks because the ring structure helps stabilize the molecular ion. Compared with linear or branched alkanes, this added stability changes how the molecule breaks apart. As a result, cycloalkanes can produce prominent signals in the mass spectrum. Cyclohexane is a clear example. Its molecular ion has an m/z of 84, and this peak is often stronger than the signal from hexane, a linear alkane. The closed ring helps hold the ion together,...

mass spectrometry: alkene fragmentation

Alkene Ion Fragmentation Patterns

Alkene ion fragmentation patterns in mass spectrometry begin when the molecule loses one electron from the unsaturated π bond. This ionization forms a stable molecular ion. The ion can then break apart by three main reaction pathways. The most common pathway is cleavage at the allylic position, which is the carbon next to the double bond. This produces an allylic carbocation that is stabilized by resonance. In terminal alkenes, this fragment appears at a mass-to-charge ratio of 41. In internal...

mass spectrometry: cycloalkene fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-cycloalkene-fragmentation

Cycloalkene Side-Chain Cleavage in Mass Spectra

Cycloalkenes can break apart in a mass spectrometer through retro-Diels–Alder fragmentation. In this process, two carbon-carbon bonds in the ring split, and ethene is released. The remaining fragment is a dienyl radical cation that is 28 u less than the molecular ion. This pathway is similar to the fragmentation of cycloalkanes that also releases ethene. The difference is the type of charged fragment that remains. Cycloalkanes form an alkyl species, while cycloalkenes form a dienyl species.

mass spectrometry: alkyne fragmentation

Alkyne Mass Spectra and Key Peaks

Alkyne mass spectra often show strong peaks from two main fragmentation paths. One path breaks the carbon-carbon bond between the alpha and beta carbons of the alkyne bond. This produces a 3-propynyl cation, also called a propargyl cation. In terminal alkynes, this is the only fragmentation path that gives the 3-propynyl cation. The unsubstituted 3-propynyl cation appears at a mass-to-charge ratio of 39. In internal alkynes, the 3-propynyl cation is substituted. For example, 2-pentyne forms a...

mass spectrometry: alcohol fragmentation

Alcohol Fragmentation Patterns in Mass Spectra

Alcohols fragment in mass spectrometry in predictable ways. When an alcohol, written as R-OH, ionizes, it can lose one non-bonded electron from the oxygen atom. That forms a molecular ion, but the molecular ion peak is often weak or may not appear because alcohols break apart quickly. Two main fragmentation routes are important for alcohols: β-cleavage and dehydration. In β-cleavage, the bond at the β-position next to the hydroxyl group breaks. This gives a resonance-stabilized cation and a...

mass spectrometry: aromatic compound fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-aromatic-compound-fragmentation

Mass Spectra of Benzene and Toluene

Mass spectra of aromatic compounds show a strong molecular ion peak. In ionization, the molecule becomes a molecular ion, which appears as a prominent peak in the spectrum. Benzene gives a molecular ion at m/z 78, and toluene gives one at m/z 92. Benzene’s molecular ion is especially stable. It does not fragment readily because breaking the aromatic benzene ring requires a large amount of energy. Alkyl-substituted benzenes behave differently in mass spectrometry. Toluene can lose a hydrogen...

mass spectrometry: amine fragmentation

Amines in Mass Spectra: Nitrogen Rule

Amines can be identified in mass spectrometry by their fragmentation patterns and by the nitrogen rule. The molecular ions of amines often break apart through β-cleavage, which cuts a carbon-carbon bond next to the nitrogen. This process forms an alkyl radical and a resonance-stabilized nitrogen-containing cation. The nitrogen rule helps predict the mass of the molecular ion. A compound with one nitrogen atom, or any odd number of nitrogen atoms, gives a molecular ion with an odd molecular...

mass spectrometry: alkyl halide fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-alkyl-halide-fragmentation

Mass Spectra of Alkyl Halides

Mass spectra of alkyl halides show clear isotope patterns from the halogen atom. Chlorine has two common isotopes, 35Cl and 37Cl, in a 3:1 ratio. Bromine has two common isotopes, 79Br and 81Br, in a 1:1 ratio. These isotope ratios create two molecular ion peaks, [M] and [M + 2], with relative heights that match the halide abundance. This pattern is easy to see in examples such as 2-chloropropane and 1-bromopropane. 2-Chloropropane gives peaks in a 3:1 ratio. 1-Bromopropane gives peaks in a 1:1...

mass spectrometry: aldehyde and ketone fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-aldehyde-and-ketone-fragmentation

Carbonyl Fragment Patterns in Mass Spectra

Aliphatic aldehydes and ketones break apart in mass spectrometry through a few key carbonyl fragment patterns. The main pathways are alpha-cleavage, inductive cleavage, and the McLafferty rearrangement. These patterns help chemists read the mass spectrum and spot a carbonyl group. Alpha-cleavage is a common break next to the carbonyl group. The bond beside the carbonyl splits, and this forms an alkyl radical and an acylium cation. The acylium cation is often seen in the spectrum because it is...

mass spectrometry: carboxylic acid, ester, and amide fragmentation

mass-spectrometry-carboxylic-acid-ester-and-amide-fragmentation

Mass Spectra of Carboxylic Compounds

Mass spectra of carboxylic acids, esters, and amides often show two key fragmentation routes: β-cleavage and McLafferty rearrangement. In β-cleavage, the carbon-carbon bond at the β-position next to the carboxylic group breaks. This produces a neutral radical and a cation. Long-chain compounds can also fragment by McLafferty rearrangement if they have a hydrogen on the γ-carbon. The γ-carbon is the third carbon away from the carboxylic group. This rearrangement gives a radical cation and a...

chemical ionization (ci) mass spectrometry

Using Reagent Gas in CI Mass Spectrometry

Chemical ionization mass spectrometry uses a reagent gas to help detect molecules that break apart too quickly in electron impact ionization. It is a milder ionization method that can extend the life of the ionized analyte, which makes molecular identification easier. In chemical ionization, the sample is mixed with an excess reagent gas. This setup makes the electron impact occur mainly on the reagent gas instead of on the analyte. The charged species formed from the reagent then protonates...

electrospray ionization (esi) mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization, or ESI, is a mass spectrometry method used to detect biomolecules that are too large or nonvolatile for conventional electron impact ionization. These molecules may break down before they can ionize or evaporate. ESI helps prevent rapid fragmentation and lets scientists record a mass signal for the whole biomolecule. ESI uses electrical energy to move ions from the liquid phase into the gas phase. The analyte biomolecule is mixed with an ionic liquid, which is a...

matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (maldi)

matrix-assisted-laser-desorption-ionization-maldi

How MALDI Turns Samples Into Ions

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) is a mass spectrometry technique that turns biomolecules into ions for analysis. It is used to identify and characterize proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. Because of this, it is common in biological and medical research, as well as pharmacology and biochemistry. In MALDI, the analyte of interest is mixed with a matrix material. The matrix is usually an organic compound, such as a small organic acid or a crystalline...

key terms and concepts

Learn how electrospray ionization moves biomolecules from liquid to gas, forms charged droplets, and creates peaks such as M+23 and M+1 in mass spectrometry.

How ESI Turns Biomolecules Into Ions | JoVE K12

analytical chemistry

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How ESI Turns Biomolecules Into Ions

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