Partitioning Model for Competitive Host−Guest Complexation in ESI-MS

Abstract

Mathematical models based on equilibrium partitioning theory were developed to relate ion abundances produced by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with solution concentrations of complexes resulting from competitive host-guest binding. Through modeling the possible equilibria in the electrospray droplets, including the partitioning between the droplet surface and interior that dictate what ions are generated by an electrospray, the factors responsible for distorting the distribution of ions from their solution concentrations were evaluated. Experiments with crown ether-alkali metal complexes confirm the validity of the models and yield a greater understanding of the behavior of host-guest complexes in ESI-MS, allowing for more accurate and less trouble-prone measurements of solution binding interactions.