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Updated: Sep 25, 2025
08:40
Using a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Tandem Ion Mobility Experiments
Published on: January 20, 2022
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Targeted glucocorticoid analysis using ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS)
Shon P Neal1, Katie M Wilson1, Diana C Velosa1
1Chemistry Program, Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.
Summary
Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) shows promise for clinical labs, effectively separating glucocorticoid isomers. Optimizing experimental conditions, like drift gas and metal adducts, enhances isomer resolution in complex samples.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is an emerging technique with significant potential for clinical laboratory applications.
- IM-MS offers rapid, gas-phase separation based on structure, excelling in isomer differentiation and compatibility with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of IM-MS for detecting glucocorticoids.
- To demonstrate the separation of isomeric glucocorticoid pairs under various experimental conditions.
Main Methods:
- Liquid chromatography-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (LC-IM-MS) was employed to analyze 16 glucocorticoids, including three isomeric pairs.
- Collision cross section (CCS) values were measured for various adducts, and four different drift gases (helium, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide) were compared.
Main Results:
- LC-IM-MS provided robust, three-dimensional separation (retention time, CCS, m/z) of the analyzed glucocorticoids.
- While standard conditions offered modest isomer resolution, improvements were noted with alkaline earth/transition metals (e.g., barium adducts) and carbon dioxide drift gas.
Conclusions:
- LC-IM-MS is a valuable clinical tool due to its integration with LC-MS and its tunable separation capabilities.
- This technique enhances the resolution of targeted and global isomers in complex biological matrices.
Keywords:
CCS, collision cross sectionCIMS, cyclic ion mobility spectrometryDMS, differential mobility spectrometryDTIMS, drift tube ion mobility spectrometryFAIMS, field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometryGlucocorticoidsIM-MS, ion mobility-mass spectrometryIMS, ion mobility spectrometryIon mobility spectrometryIon mobility-mass spectrometrySLIM, structures for lossless ion manipulationsTIMS, trapped ion mobility spectrometryTWIMS, traveling wave ion mobility spectrometry
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