Performance of a low voltage ion trap

Abstract: Reduced power operation of a mass analyzer with minimum loss of spectral resolution and mass range is desirable in portable instruments. Miniaturizing quadrupole-based ion traps can be especially worthwhile since the RF amplitude necessary for mass analysis scales with the square of the analyzer dimensions. The performance of a miniature, stainless steel, rectilinear ion trap (RIT) with dimensions of 1.66mm×1.43mm (x 0 and y 0 respectively) is characterized by sampling externally generated ions and performing mass analysis without benefit of differential pumping to simulate conditions in a miniature system. This system is capable of detecting analyte ions of up to m/z 1250 at operating voltages of 610V0-p (drive frequency of 1.105MHz), and with spectral resolution on the order of 2Th (FWHM) across the entire mass range. The ability to acquire structural information through tandem MS is also demonstrated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]