Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026
05:47
Sample Preparation for Probe Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Published on: February 19, 2020
A study of ion suppression effects in electrospray ionization from mobile phase additives and solid-phase extracts
Claude R Mallet1, Ziling Lu, Jeff R Mazzeo
1Waters Corporation, 34 Maple St., Milford, MA 01757-3696, USA. claude_mallet@waters.com
Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM
|December 23, 2003
Summary
Ion suppression in liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) affects accuracy. Ion exchange cleanup of plasma extracts minimizes this ion suppression/enhancement, improving high-throughput analysis.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is widely adopted for high-throughput analysis.
- Ion suppression/enhancement is a significant challenge impacting quantitation accuracy and precision in LC/MS/MS.
- Existing research attributes ion suppression to endogenous biological materials, but comprehensive optimization for solid-phase extraction (SPE)/LC/MS/MS systems remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a straightforward method for quantifying ion suppression/enhancement in SPE/LC/MS/MS.
- To evaluate the impact of various mobile phase additives, ion-pairing agents, and SPE extracts on ion suppression/enhancement.
- To identify optimized conditions for the complete analytical workflow, including extraction, cleanup, separation, and analysis.
Main Methods:
- Development of a simple setup to measure ion suppression/enhancement.
- Comparison of several mobile phase additives, ion-pairing agents, and solid-phase extraction (SPE) extracts against a standard reference.
- Investigation of different cleanup strategies for biological sample extracts.
Main Results:
- The study successfully quantified ion suppression/enhancement across various analytical conditions.
- Results indicated that different mobile phase additives and SPE extracts exhibit varying degrees of ion suppression/enhancement.
- Plasma extracts subjected to ion exchange cleanup demonstrated minimal ion suppression/enhancement for the analyzed compounds.
Conclusions:
- Ion exchange chromatography is an effective cleanup strategy for reducing ion suppression/enhancement in plasma extracts.
- Optimizing the entire SPE/LC/MS/MS workflow, particularly the cleanup step, is crucial for accurate and precise quantitation.
- The developed setup provides a valuable tool for monitoring and optimizing analytical methods to mitigate ion suppression/enhancement.
More Related Videos
11:04Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
Published on: September 7, 2019
08:40Using a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Tandem Ion Mobility Experiments
Published on: January 20, 2022
Related Concept Videos
01:12Electrospray Ionization (ESI) Mass Spectrometry
Higher molecular weight biomolecules are nonvolatile compounds that may decompose before ionizing or vaporizing during mass analysis with conventional electron impact ionization methods. Accordingly, electrospray ionization (ESI) is the favored method for vaporizing and ionizing biomolecules as it circumvents rapid fragmentation and enables the recording of mass signals for the entire biomolecule.
ESI utilizes electrical energy to transfer ions from the liquid phase of the sample into the...
ESI utilizes electrical energy to transfer ions from the liquid phase of the sample into the...
01:17Ion Exchange
Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or basic...
01:20Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Interferences
Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) is a highly selective and sensitive technique for accurate elemental analysis. Though the analysis of ICP–MS mass spectra is comparatively straightforward, it is affected by spectroscopic and non-spectroscopic interferences. Spectroscopic interferences arise when the plasma contains ionic species with an m/z value the same as the analyte ion. Spectroscopic interference can be categorized as isobaric, polyatomic ions, and refractory oxide ion...
01:09Analyte Adsorption and Distribution
In certain chromatographic separations, solutes transfer between the mobile phase and the stationary phase via sorption, which typically refers to the process of adsorption. For many chromatographic systems, the sorption process often depends on the polarity of the compounds—an expression of the overall dipole moment within the molecule. During the separation process, there is competition between the solute and solvent for adsorption to the stationary phase. Highly polar compounds and solvents...
01:09Ion-Exchange Chromatography
Ion-exchange chromatography, or IEC, is a technique for separating ions based on their affinity for the stationary phase. The stationary phase is a cross-linked polymer resin with covalently attached ionic functional groups. The functional groups can be either positively charged (cation exchangers) or negatively charged (anion exchangers). A cation exchanger consists of a polymeric anion and active cations, while an anion exchanger is a polymeric cation with active anions. The choice of...
01:30Capillary Electrophoresis: Applications
Capillary electrophoretic separations offer various modes, each with unique applications. These modes include capillary zone electrophoresis, capillary gel electrophoresis, capillary array electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing, capillary isotachophoresis, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, and capillary electrochromatography.
Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) separates ionic components based on their electrophoretic mobility. It has been used to separate proteins, amino acids,...
Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) separates ionic components based on their electrophoretic mobility. It has been used to separate proteins, amino acids,...