Mass Spectrometer
Mass Spectrometer - Related Videos
01:16
Mass Spectrometers
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2024
This lesson details the instrumentation of a mass spectrometer—a physical instrument to perform mass spectrometry on analyte molecules and record the characteristic mass spectra. This is achieved via three chief functions: Conversion of the gas-phase analyte atoms/molecules into a beam of positive or negative charged ions by ionization. Separation of the charged species based on their mass-to-charge ratio. Recording the relative abundance of each type of ion. In the ionization chamber of...
11:18
A Practical Guide on Coupling a Scanning Mobility Sizer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (SMPS-ICPMS)
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Cited by 9 •
2017
In this work a practical guide is provided, describing the different steps to establish the coupling of SMPS and ICPMS systems, and how to use them. Three descriptive examples are presented.
01:25
IR Spectrometers
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2024
There are two main infrared (IR) spectrophotometers: dispersive IR spectrometers and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. In a dispersive IR spectrometer, a beam of infrared radiation produced by a hot wire is divided into two parallel equal-intensity beams using mirrors. One beam passes through the sample, while another is a reference beam. The beams then move through the monochromator, which separates the radiations into a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. The...
07:47
Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry Imaging Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Coupled To Orbitrap Mass Spectrometers
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2026
This protocol describes single-cell mass spectrometry imaging of OVCAR-8 cells using desorption electrospray ionization coupled to Orbitrap mass spectrometers for high-spatial-resolution metabolomic analysis.
13:31
High Speed Sub-GHz Spectrometer for Brillouin Scattering Analysis
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Cited by 42 •
2015
Here we present a protocol to build a rapid Brillouin spectrometer. Cascading virtually imaged phase array (VIPA) etalons achieve a measurement speed more than 1,000 times faster than traditional scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometers. This improvement provides the means for Brillouin analysis of tissue and biomaterials at low power levels in vivo.
FAQs
Ionization converts molecules in the sample into charged particles suitable for analysis. The resulting ions can be directed through electric or magnetic fields, allowing the instrument to separate and detect them. This step connects the original chemical substance to the ionic pattern recorded in the mass spectrum, which chemists then use for identification, structural interpretation, or measurement.
The key analytical variable is the ion’s mass-to-charge ratio rather than mass considered by itself. Electric or magnetic fields separate ions according to that ratio, and the detector records the resulting intensities. Chemists therefore read a spectrum as a distribution of ionic signals, using their positions and strengths to distinguish and measure chemical components.
Signal intensity adds information beyond the presence of a peak. Because the detector records intensities for separated ions, chemists can use the strength of signals to assess components and support quantification. This makes mass spectrometry useful not only for recognizing substances but also for measuring components in mixtures containing several chemical signals.
Mass patterns can support structural interpretation even when the instrument does not directly display a complete molecular structure. Chemists compare the observed ion pattern with molecular-mass information to infer which arrangement of atoms is consistent with the data. This interpretive role makes the technique valuable for identifying compounds and characterizing unfamiliar chemical substances.
A measurement follows a linked workflow: the sample is introduced, ionized, directed through an electric or magnetic field, and measured by a detector. The separated signals are assembled into a mass spectrum for interpretation. Maintaining this sequence allows chemists to connect the original sample with information about its chemical components and their measured intensities.
When a sample contains several components, separation before detection helps distinguish their contributions to the recorded spectrum. The resulting pattern can support compound identification and component quantification instead of treating the mixture as one undifferentiated signal. This capability is important when chemistry samples contain multiple substances that must be examined together.
Mass spectrometry supports a broad range of chemical investigations. In reaction analysis, it can examine substances associated with chemical transformations; in metabolite characterization, it helps study chemically produced biological compounds. The approach also contributes to pharmaceutical research, environmental testing, and proteomics, where identifying, characterizing, or measuring components is central to the investigation.