In Silico Demonstration of Two-Dimensional Mass Spectrometry Using Spatially Dependent Fragmentation

Two-dimensional mass spectrometry (2DMS) allows for the analysis of complex mixtures of all kinds at high speed and resolution without data loss from isolation or biased acquisition, effectively generating tandem mass spectrometry information for all ions at once. Currently, this technique is limited to instruments utilizing an ion trap such as the Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance or linear ion traps. To overcome this limitation, new fragmentation waveforms were used in either a temporal or spatial configuration, allowing for the application of 2DMS on a much wider array of instruments. A simulated example of a time-of-flight-based instrument is shown with the new waveforms, which allowed for the correlation of fragment ions to their respective precursors through the processing of the modulation of fragmentation intensity with a Fourier transform. This application indicated that 2D modulation and Fourier precursor/fragment intensity correlation are possible in any case where separation, either temporally or spatially, can be achieved, allowing 2DMS to be applied to almost every type of mass spectrometry instrument.