Mass Spectrometry Molecular Weight
Mass spectrometry is a scientific detection method that can accurately measure the mass of molecules and atoms. This is mainly achieved by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of ions. Mass spectrometry is also used to determine the structure of compounds, such as by measuring the mass of molecular ions and fragment ions.
1. Operating Principle of Mass Spectrometer
The main components of a mass spectrometer include an ion source, a mass analyzer, and an ion detector. The ion source is the beginning of the mass spectrometer, the mass analyzer is the core, and the ion detector is the end.
2. Ion Source
In the ion source, sample molecules are converted into ions. This can be achieved through different ionization techniques such as Electron Impact (EI), Chemical Ionization (CI), Electrospray Ionization (ESI), or Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI).
3. Mass Analyzer
In the mass analyzer, ions are sorted by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). Common types of mass analyzers include quadrupole, time-of-flight, ion trap, and magnetic sector.
4. Ion Detector
In the ion detector, ions generate a signal, and the intensity of this signal is proportional to the abundance of the ions. The most common ion detector is the electron multiplier.
5. Applications of Mass Spectrometry
One major application of mass spectrometry is determining the molecular weight of compounds. This is achieved by measuring the mass of molecular ions, which are positive or negative ions formed from sample molecules in the ion source. Another application is identifying compounds by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. In this process, molecular ions may break down into fragment ions, and the mass and structure of these fragment ions provide chemical information about the original molecule. It is also used for quantitative analysis, such as determining the concentration of a particular compound in a sample.
BiotechPack, A Biopharmaceutical Characterization and Multi-Omics Mass Spectrometry (MS) Services Provider
Related Services:
Molecular Weight Determination
Protein Molecular Weight Determination
Molecular Weight Determination of Protein Complexes and Protein-Small Molecule Complexes
High-resolution Mass Spectrometry Identification
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