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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

A Practical Guide on Coupling a Scanning Mobility Sizer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer SMPS-ICPMS
Published on: July 11, 2017
Neutral particle mass spectrometry with nanomechanical systems
Eric Sage1, Ariel Brenac2, Thomas Alava1
11] Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble, France [2] CEA, LETI, Minatec Campus, F-38054 Grenoble, France.
Nano-electromechanical systems-based mass spectrometry (NEMS-MS) offers clearer spectra by being insensitive to charge state. This novel mass spectrometry technique also enables the analysis of neutral particles, expanding analytical capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Physics
Background:
- Conventional mass spectrometry (MS) relies on analyte ionization, which can lead to complex charge state distributions for high-mass species.
- Interpreting these complex spectra in traditional time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS) can be challenging and hinder accurate analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate that nano-electromechanical systems-based MS (NEMS-MS) provides charge-state-insensitive mass spectra.
- To show that NEMS-MS can analyze neutral particles, overcoming limitations of current ionization-dependent MS techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a combined setup of conventional time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS) and in situ nano-electromechanical systems-based MS (NEMS-MS).
- Investigated the charge state insensitivity of NEMS-MS by analyzing species with varying charge states.
- Performed tests where charged particles were electrostatically removed to assess NEMS-MS's capability for neutral particle analysis.
Main Results:
- NEMS-MS produced a single peak spectrum irrespective of the analyte's charge state, significantly simplifying spectral interpretation compared to TOF-MS.
- NEMS-MS successfully measured mass spectra even after charged particles were removed, confirming its ability to detect neutral particles.
Conclusions:
- NEMS-MS offers a significantly clearer and more interpretable mass spectrometry analysis by eliminating charge state complexity.
- The capability of NEMS-MS to analyze neutral particles opens new avenues for studying analytes incompatible with current ionization methods.
- This work paves the way for advanced MS system architectures with unprecedented analytical power.
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