NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CHARGE SEPARATION MASS-SPECTROMETRY

We show that charge separation mass spectrometry can be based on ionization by high energy electrons rather than photons, but the resulting spectra show much more breakup into many fragments including neutral products. Charge separation mass spectra of triply charged ions are dominated by combinations of light fragment ions, with many unseen neutrals, in accordance with a simple excess energy model. Improved mass resolution has been achieved with a special reflectron design and reveals that charge separation mass spectra of aliphatic compounds ionized by HeII photons are mainly characteristic of the hydrocarbon moieties and show little sensitivity to the substituent groups. © 1990.