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T-wave Ion Mobility-mass Spectrometry: Basic Experimental Procedures for Protein Complex Analysis

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Published on: July 31, 2010

Absorption mode Fourier transform electrostatic linear ion trap mass spectrometry.

Ryan T Hilger¹, Phillip J Wyss, Robert E Santini

¹Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, USA.

Analytical Chemistry

|August 2, 2013

Summary

Generating absorption spectra in Fourier transform mass spectrometry is simplified for electrostatic traps. A novel time-shifting method enhances resolution and reduces peak tailing, overcoming common phasing challenges.

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Area of Science:

Analytical Chemistry
Spectroscopy
Physical Chemistry

Background:

Absorption mode spectra offer advantages over magnitude mode in Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS).
Generating absorption spectra requires precise phase determination at data acquisition onset, a significant challenge.
The phasing problem is notably simpler for electrostatic traps compared to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a straightforward method for generating absorption spectra from Fourier transform electrostatic linear ion trap mass spectrometers.
To simplify the process of obtaining absorption spectra by addressing the phase determination issue.

Main Methods:

A time-shifting technique is applied to data before Fourier transformation.
This synchronization aligns data acquisition onset with ion acceleration into the electrostatic trap.
This ensures an initial phase of zero for all frequencies.

Main Results:

The absorption mode demonstrated a 1.7-fold increase in spectral resolution (full width at half maximum, fwhm).
Reduced peak tailing was observed in the absorption spectra.
Methodology for processing unsynchronized data to determine necessary time shifts was also discussed.

Conclusions:

The proposed time-shifting method effectively generates absorption spectra from electrostatic traps.
This approach significantly improves spectral resolution and peak shape.
It offers a practical solution to the long-standing phasing problem in FTMS.