Increasing the Sensitivity of Liquid Introduction Mass Spectrometry by Combining Electrospray Ionization and Solvent Assisted Inlet Ionization

Abstract

Combining electrospray ionization (ESI) and solvent assisted inlet ionization (SAII) provides higher ion abundances over a wide range of concentrations for peptides and proteins than either ESI or SAII. In this method, a voltage is applied to a union connector linking tubing from a solvent delivery device and the fused silica capillary, used with SAII, inserted into a heated inlet tube of an Orbitrap Exactive mass spectrometer (MS). The union can be metal or polymeric and the voltage can be applied directly or contactless. Solution flow rates from less than a 1 μL min(-1) to over 100 μL min(-1) can be accommodated. It appears that the voltage is only necessary to provide charge separation in solution, and the hot MS inlet tube and the high velocity of gas through the tube linking atmospheric pressure and vacuum provides droplet formation. As little as 100 V produces an increase in ion abundance for certain compounds using this method relative to no voltage. Interestingly, the total ion current observed with SAII and this electrosprayed inlet ionization (ESII) method are very similar for weak acid solutions, but with voltage on, the ion abundance for peptides and proteins increase as much as 100-fold relative to other compounds in the solution being analyzed. Thus, switching between SAII (voltage off) and ESII (voltage on) provides a more complete picture of the solution contents than either method alone.