Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Glycosphingolipid Antigens
Published on: April 16, 2013
Gas-phase infrared spectroscopy of glycans and glycoconjugates
Kim Greis1, Carla Kirschbaum1, Gert von Helden2
1Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany; Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Glycans are intrinsically complex biomolecules that pose particular analytical challenges. Standard workflows for glycan analysis are based on mass spectrometry, often coupled with separation techniques such as liquid chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry. However, this approach does not yield direct structural information and cannot always distinguish between isomers. This gap might be filled in the future by gas-phase infrared spectroscopy, which has emerged as a promising structure-sensitive technique for glycan fingerprinting. This review highlights recent applications of gas-phase infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of synthetic and biological glycans and how they can be integrated into mass spectrometry-based workflows.
Related Concept Videos
IR and UV–Vis Spectroscopy of Aldehydes and Ketones
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy: Overview
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...
IR Frequency Region: Fingerprint Region
Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...

