Super-atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry and its application to ultrafast online protein digestion...

Pressure is a key parameter for an ionization source. In this Special Feature article, Lee Chuin Chen and colleagues review super-atmospheric pressure ionization MS with electrospray, corona-discharge-based chemical ionization, and field desorption. They routinely run their mass spectrometer with ion source pressures ranging from several to several tens of atmospheres. A number of strategies have been used to preserve the high vacuum of the instrument while working with a high-pressure (HP) ion source. A recent prototype uses a booster pump with variable pumping speed added to the first pumping stage of the mass spectrometer to regulate a constant vacuum pressure. Further, a new HP-ESI source allowing rapid (a few seconds) online protein digestion MS is also reported. Dr. Lee Chuin Chen is Associate Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Yamanashi (Yamanashi, Japan). His main research interest is the development of novel mass spectrometric methods for in-situ medical diagnosis.