Method for the ionization of heavy molecules at atmospheric pressure
AssigneeBruker-Franzen Analytik GmbH
InventorsJochen Franzen, Claus Koster
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Abstract
The invention relates to a device and method for the ionization of non-vaporizable substance molecules at atmospheric pressure by chemical ionization (APCI=atmospheric pressure chemical ionization). The invention consists of desorbing the analyte substances which are mixed with decomposable substances (matrix substances) in solid form on a solid support, by laser irradiation at atmospheric pressure into a gas stream, and to add sufficient ions for proton transfer reactions to the gas stream. Explosives like cellulosis trinitrate or trinitro toluene (TNT) form a preferred class of decomposable matrix substances.
Claims12
Method for the ionization of heavy analyte molecules deposited on a solid support in a gas at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of
- (a) depositing the analyte molecules together with decomposable matrix material on the solid support,
- (b) decomposing the matrix material by laser photons, thereby blasting the analyte molecules into the surrounding gas, and
- (c) ionizing the analyte molecules within the gas by the known method of atmospheric pressure ionization.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.