High-resolution mass spectrometer with gas chromatography

• Subject Area: Analytical Chemistry
• Term: Funded in 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 501309152

High-resolution mass spectrometry is currently the most powerful and flexible technique in organic trace analysis, which is used for a wide variety of applications. This applies both to the quantitative determination of known target analytes at very low concentrations with high selectivity (target analysis), and especially when, as in the case of non-target analysis, mass spectrometry is to be used to obtain as much information as possible about the sample, for example in the case of individual samples that are difficult to access, but where a maximum of chemical information is nevertheless to be extracted. However, high-resolution mass spectrometry is not only helpful for trace analysis, but also when organic-preparation-oriented working groups aim at structure elucidation or structure detection. In many cases, the mass spectrometric high resolution enables an unambiguous elucidation of the elemental composition and also provides information for chemical structure elucidation via the interpretation of the mass spectrum. This is also true for the combination of GC and MS, as will be acquired here, with the goal of working with full-scan acquisition with very high mass resolution and mass accuracy while detecting very low concentrations. Compared to LC-MS, GC-MS captures a different range of volatility and polarity, tends to be the more robust technique, with reproducible retention times, universally applicable retention indices, and when using electron ionization, much lower compound-dependent ionization efficiencies. But softer ionization techniques, such as chemical ionization, also help in the identification of unknown compounds. The present equipment procurement is especially needed for the detection and identification of smaller organic compounds, since the existing high-resolution mass spectrometric systems are coupled with LC or are only available to a very limited extent. For this reason, the requested instrument is indispensable for the working group of the main applicant, but also for the other named working groups of the Department of Chemistry.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hochauflösendes Massenspektrometer mit Gaschromatographie
• Instrumentation Group: 1700 Massenspektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Leader: Professor Dr. Thorsten Hoffmann