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Anion analysis is of great importance to many scientific areas of interest. Problems with negative mode ESI-MS prevent researchers from achieving sensitive detection for anions. Recently, we have shown that cationic reagents can be paired with anions, such that detection can be done in the positive mode, allowing for low limits of detections for anions using ESI-MS. In this analysis, we present the use of 16 newly synthesized flexible linear tricationic ion-paring reagents for the detection of 11 divalent anions. These reagents greatly differ in structure from previously reported trigonal tricationic ion-pairing agents, such that they are far more flexible. Here we present the structural features of these linear trications that make for good ion-pairing agents as well as show the advantage of using these more flexible ion-pairing reagents. In fact, the limit of detection for sulfate using the best linear trication was found to be 25 times lower than when the best rigid trication was used. Also, MS/MS experiments were performed on the trication--dianion complex to significantly reduce the detection limit for many dianions. Limits of detection in this analysis were as low as 50 fg.

The resolution of enantiomers of extended metal atom chains of the type [Ni.sub.3][[[([C.sub.5][H.sub.5]N).sub.2]N].sub.4][Cl.sub.2] is obtained by chromatographic methods in solution. The chirality of the extended metal atom chains is determined by using vibrational circular dichroism, electronic circular dichroism, optical rotatory dispersion and density functional theory calculations.

The analysis of carbohydrates, or glycans, is challenging for established structure-sensitive gas-phase methods. The multitude of possible stereo-, regio-, and structural isomers makes them substantially more complex to analyze than DNA or proteins, and no one method is currently able to fully resolve them. While the combination of tandem mass spectrometry (MS) and ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) have made important inroads in glycan analysis, in many cases, this approach is still not able to identify the precise isomeric form. To advance the techniques available for glycan analysis, we employ two important innovations. First, we perform ultrahigh-resolution mobility separation using structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM) for isomer separation and pre-selection. We then complement this IMS-MS stage with a cryogenic IR spectroscopic dimension since a glycan's vibrational spectrum provides a fingerprint that is extremely sensitive to the precise isomeric form. Using this unique approach in conjunction with oxygen-18 isotopic labeling, we show on a range of disaccharides how the two α and β anomers that every reducing glycan adopts in solution can be readily separated by mobility and identified based on their IR spectra. In addition to highlighting the power of our technique to detect minute differences in the structure of isomeric carbohydrates, these results provide the means to determine if and when anomericity is retained during collision-induced dissociation (CID) of larger glycans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the gas phase, protein ions can adopt a broad range of structures, which have been investigated extensively in the past using ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS)-based methods. Compact ions with low number of charges undergo a Coulomb-driven transition to partially folded species when the charge increases, and finally form extended structures with presumably little or no defined structure when the charge state is high. However, with respect to the secondary structure, IM-MS methods are essentially blind. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, on the other hand, is sensitive to such structural details and there is increasing evidence that helices as well as β-sheet-like structures can exist in the gas phase, especially for ions in low charge states. Very recently, we showed that also the fully extended form of highly charged protein ions can adopt a distinct type of secondary structure that features a characteristic C-type hydrogen bond pattern. Here we use a combination of IM-MS and IR spectroscopy to further investigate the influence of the initial, native conformation on the formation of these structures. Our results indicate that when intramolecular Coulomb-repulsion is large enough to overcome the stabilization energies of the genuine secondary structure, all proteins, regardless of their sequence or native conformation, form C-type hydrogen bond structures. Furthermore, our results suggest that in highly charged proteins the positioning of charges along the sequence is only marginally influenced by the basicity of individual residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immediate environment of a molecule can have a profound influence on its properties. Benzocaine, the ethyl ester of para-aminobenzoic acid that finds an application as a local anesthetic, is found to adopt in its protonated form at least two populations of distinct structures in the gas phase, and their relative intensities strongly depend on the properties of the solvent used in the electrospray ionization process. Here, we combine IR-vibrational spectroscopy with ion mobility-mass spectrometry to yield gas-phase IR spectra of simultaneously m/z and drift-time-resolved species of benzocaine. The results allow for an unambiguous identification of two protomeric species: the N- and O-protonated forms. Density functional theory calculations link these structures to the most stable solution and gas-phase structures, respectively, with the electric properties of the surrounding medium being the main determinant for the preferred protonation site. The fact that the N-protonated form of benzocaine can be found in the gas phase is owed to kinetic trapping of the solution-phase structure during transfer into the experimental setup. These observations confirm earlier studies on similar molecules where N- and O-protonation have been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) of gasphase proteins has attracted increased attention in recent years. This growing interest is largely based on the fact that, in contrast to slow heating techniques such as collision induced dissociation (CID), the cleavage propensity after absorption of UV light is distributed over the entire protein sequence, which can lead to a very high sequence coverage as required in typical top-down proteomics applications. However, in the gas phase, proteins can adopt a multitude of distinct and sometimes coexisting conformations, and it is not clear how this three-dimensional structure affects the UVPD fragmentation behavior. Using ion mobility—UVPD—mass spectrometry in conjunction with molecular dynamics simulations, we provide the first experimental evidence that UVPD is sensitive to the higher order structure of gas-phase proteins. Distinct UVPD spectra were obtained for different extended conformations of 11+ ubiquitin ions. Assignment of the fragments showed that the majority of differences arise from cis/trans isomerization of one particular proline peptide bond. Seen from a broader perspective, these data highlight the potential of UVPD to be used for the structural analysis of proteins in the gas phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is ongoing debate about the extent to which protein structure is retained after transfer into the gas phase. Here, using ion-mobility spectrometry, we investigated the impact of side-chain-backbone interactions on the structure of gas-phase protein ions by noncovalent attachment of crown ethers (CEs). Our results indicate that in the absence of solvent, secondary interactions between charged lysine side chains and backbone carbonyls can significantly influence the structure of a protein. Once the charged residues are capped with CEs, certain charge states of the protein are found to undergo significant structural compaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural complexity of glycans makes their characterization challenging, not only because of the presence of various isomeric forms of the precursor molecule but also because the fragments can themselves be isomeric. We have recently developed an IMS-CID-IMS approach using structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM) combined with cryogenic infrared (IR) spectroscopy for glycan analysis. It allows mobility separation and collision-induced dissociation of a precursor glycan followed by mobility separation and IR spectroscopy of the fragments. While this approach holds great promise for glycan analysis, we often encounter fragments for which we have no standards to identify their spectroscopic fingerprint. In this work, we perform proof-of-principle experiments employing a multistage SLIM-based IMS-CID technique to generate second-generation fragments, followed by their mobility separation and spectroscopic interrogation. This approach provides detailed structural information about the first-generation fragments, including their anomeric form, which in turn can be used to identify the precursor glycan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[2.2]Paracyclophanes with chiral ketimine side chains constitute a class of highly versatile and enantioselective ligands for catalytic carbon−carbon bond forming reactions. Proper matching of the side chain and [2.2]paracyclophane configurations induces chiral cooperativity, which is key to high selectivities. Here we show that the absolute configuration of both chirotropic elements may be fully resolved by CD spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional calculations. Different ketimine side chain conformations of the diastereomers perturb the planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane chromophore. This leads to characteristic changes in the measured CD spectra and the specific rotation allowing for the simultaneous assignment of the absolute configuration of both chiral elements. Our results give rise to a simple rule relating sign and magnitude of the specific rotation and the first band of the CD spectra to the absolute configuration of both chiral elements. We infer a tautomeric equilibrium between an ortho-hydroquinone-imine and an ortho-quinone-enamine from strong solvatochromism observed in the CD spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general and sensitive method for detecting divalent anions by ESI-MS and LC/ESI-MS as positive ions has been developed. The anions are paired with tricationic reagents to form positively charged complexes. In this study, four tricationic reagents, 2 trigonal and 2 linear, were used to study a wide variety of anions, such as disulfonates, dicarboxylates, and inorganic anions. The limits of detection for many of the anions studied were often improved by tandem mass spectrometry. Tricationic pairing agents can also be used with chromatography to enhance the detection of anions. The tricationic reagents were also used to detect monovalent anions by monitoring the doubly charged positive complex. The limits of detection for some of the divalent anions by this method are substantially lower than by other current analytical techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article presents information regarding simplex optimization of headspace-enrichment conditions of residual petroleum distillates used by arsonists. Simplex optimization analyzes varying factors simultaneously to obtain an optimal response. It is a powerful tool and represents the quickest way to obtain optimized conditions. Only a few structured laboratory exercises in methods development using simplex optimization have been described. Simplex optimization is missing from most science curricula because it is time consuming and not practical for most teaching laboratory exercises. The problem occurs because a result must be obtained in order for new conditions to be determined. While this is not an issue in the real world, it is a problem for academic science labs that span three-hour blocks and need to cover a wide range of topics. Thus, science students typically encounter problems that focus only on physical relationships between two variables, consisting of a single independent and dependent variable.

Determining the primary structure of glycans remains challenging due to their isomeric complexity. While high-resolution ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) has recently allowed distinguishing between many glycan isomers, the arrival-time distributions (ATDs) frequently exhibit multiple peaks, which can arise from positional isomers, reducing-end anomers, or different conformations. Here, we present the combination of ultrahigh-resolution ion mobility, collision-induced dissociation (CID), and cryogenic infrared (IR) spectroscopy as a systematic method to identify reducing-end anomers of glycans. Previous studies have suggested that high-resolution ion mobility of sodiated glycans is able to separate the two reducing-end anomers. In this case, Y-fragments generated from mobility-separated precursor species should also contain a single anomer at their reducing end. We confirm that this is the case by comparing the IR spectra of selected Y-fragments to those of anomerically pure mono- and disaccharides, allowing the assignment of the mobility-separated precursor and its IR spectrum to a single reducing-end anomer. The anomerically pure precursor glycans can henceforth be rapidly identified on the basis of their IR spectrum alone, allowing them to be distinguished from other isomeric forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]