Catching proteins in liquid helium droplets

An experimental approach is presented that allows for the incorporation of large mass-to-charge ratio selected ions in liquid helium droplets. It is demonstrated that droplets can be efficiently doped with a mass-to-charge ratio selected amino acid as well as with the much bigger m ≈ 12,000 amu protein cytochrome C in selected charge states. The sizes of the ion-doped droplets are determined via electrostatic deflection. Under the experimental conditions employed, the observed droplet sizes are very large and range, depending on the incorporated ion, from 10¹⁰ helium atoms for protonated phenylalanine to 10¹² helium atoms for cytochrome C. As a possible explanation, a simple model based on the size and internal energy dependence of the pickup efficiency is given.