Minimizing analyte electrolysis in an electrospray emitter

✍ Scribed by Vilmos Kertesz; Gary J. Van Berkel

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 239 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1076-5174
• DOI: 10.1002/jms.122

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The electrospray (ES) ion source is a controlled‐current electrolytic flow cell. Electrolytic reactions in the ES emitter capillary are continually ongoing to sustain the production of charged droplets and ultimately gas‐phase ions from this device. Under certain circumstances, the analytes under study may be directly involved in these electrolytic processes. It is demonstrated that a simple means to minimize analyte electrolysis is to exchange the normal metal emitter capillary of commercial ES sources with one made of fused silica. This change is shown to provide an ES mass spectrometric system of similar performance in terms of gas‐phase ion signal generated for non‐electroactive analytes and also assures minimal oxidation of electroactive analytes even at low (2.0 µl min^−1^) solution flow‐rates and high (millimolar) solution electrolyte concentrations. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.