Resolving interferences in negative mode ion mobility spectrometry using selective reactant ion chemistry

During the investigation of the degradation products of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) were found to have IMS responses which overlapped those of the TNT degradation products. It was observed that the Cl(-) reactant ion chemistry, often used for explosives analysis, was not always successful in resolving peak overlap of analytes and interferents. It is shown here that resolution of the analytes and interferences can sometimes be achieved using only air for the formation of reactant ions, at other times through the use of Br(-) as an alternative to Cl(-) for producing reactant ions, and also through the promotion of adduct stability by lowering the IMS temperature.