An LC/MS (liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry) system includes a particle-beam generator that handles aqueous inputs with enhanced efficiency. Helium from a helium source is passed through organic liquid in a bubbler. The organic liquid is maintained at about 4. degree. C. The resulting mixture of helium and organic vapor is used as a dispersant gas by the particle-beam generator. The dispersant gas contacts a predominantly aqueous liquid chromatography effluent before a nebulizer causes the effluent to break up into droplets. The solvent in the droplets is vaporized in a desolvation chamber. A momentum separator removes helium, organic vapor, and solvent vapor from an analyte particle beam. The analyte particle beam is directed to a mass spectrometer for identification and quantification. This LC/MS has demonstrated an improvement in signal strength of up to an order of magnitude relative to a similar LC/MS without the organic vapor in the dispersant gas.
Mass Spectrometry With Gas Counterflow For Particle Beam
In an LC mode, the GC system of a GC/LC/MS system provides a counterflow to an LC particle beam. The counterflow increases signal strength and, for some relatively high molecular mass analytes, reduces fragmentation.