Characterization of Traveling Wave Ion Mobility Separations in Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

We report on the development and characterization of a traveling wave (TW)-based Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (TW-SLIM) module for ion mobility separations (IMS). The TW-SLIM module uses parallel arrays of rf electrodes on two closely spaced surfaces for ion confinement, where the rf electrodes are separated by arrays of short electrodes, and using these TWs can be created to drive ion motion. In this initial work, TWs are created by the dynamic application of dc potentials. The capabilities of the TW-SLIM module for efficient ion confinement, lossless ion transport, and ion mobility separations at different rf and TW parameters are reported. The TW-SLIM module is shown to transmit a wide mass range of ions (m/z 200-2500) utilizing a confining rf waveform (∼1 MHz and ∼300 Vp-p) and low TW amplitudes (<20 V). Additionally, the short TW-SLIM module achieved resolutions comparable to existing commercially available low pressure IMS platforms and an ion mobility peak capacity of ∼32 for TW speeds of <210 m/s. TW-SLIM performance was characterized over a wide range of rf and TW parameters and demonstrated robust performance. The combined attributes of the flexible design and low voltage requirements for the TW-SLIM module provide a basis for devices capable of much higher resolution and more complex ion manipulations.