Introduction of new type of mass spectrometry:
Distance-of-flight mass spectrometry
Serik Baimukan
Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Nazarbayev University, Astana,
Kazakhstan
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
A distance-of-flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS), which represents a new instrumental
concept, is introduced and demonstrated experimentally. A velocity-based m/z-separation
approach that is the complement of traditional time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), is
employed in DOFMS. At a specific instant after acceleration, all m/z will achieve a sharp
spatial focus and can then be directed onto the surface of a position-sensitive ion detector where
their m/z is determined based upon location. The DOF approach provides a new way to separate
and quantify components of complex samples. A glow discharge ion source and a microchannel
plate–phosphor screen detector assembly for atomic ion determination are used to obtain initial
results. This assembly for detection demonstrated mass spectral peak widths of approximately
0.65 mm, corresponding to resolving powers of approximately 400–600 for a number of
elemental samples.
References
1. E. A. Dennis, A. W. Gundlach-Graham, S. J. Ray, C. G. Enke, G. M. Hieftje, J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom.
27 (2016) 1772–1786.
2. W. G. Graham, S. J. Ray, C. G. Enke, C. J. Barinaga, D. W. Koppenaal, G. M. Hieftje, J. Am. Soc. Mass
Spectrom. 22 (2011) 110–117.
3. Gundlach-Graham, E. A. Dennis, S. J. Ray, C. G. Enke, C. J. Barinaga, D.W. Koppenaal, G. M. Hieftje,
J. Am. Soc. Mass S pectrom. 24 (2013) 1736–1744.