Category: Blog

For Appointments, Email Us

Join us at the Canadian Chemistry Conference for several days’ worth of education, instrumentation news and networking. Our team will be both exhibiting and giving an oral presentation during the event. Visit booth #603 to view the latest advancements in single-quadrupole mass spectrometry, including:

• • The NEW inert atmospheric solids analysis probe (iASAP) for air sensitive compounds

View the iASAP Product Note

• • The NEW design of the atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP) for solvent-free analysis of liquid and solid samples in less than 30 seconds

View the ASAP Product Note

• • The NEW volatile APCI source for headspace analysis

View the vAPCI Product Note

We also encourage you to join colleague Lee Collier on Tuesday at 8AM for a poster session on the expression CMS in radiochemistry:

Using a Single Quad Mass Spectrometer in a Radiochemistry Lab
TL Collier, Advion Inc., S Liang and N Vasdev, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

In the last few years the cost of a single quadrupole mass spectrometer (SQMS) has come down substantially and this reduction in price is making SQMS more affordable to researchers in academic settings and is now finding applications in radiochemistry laboratories. Since these SQMS are becoming available to a wider audience, the possible uses of this type of equipment may not be evident to all users.

The user of a SQMS in a simple LC system can provide basic information however, with the addition of some simple equipment – is it possible to improve the sensitivity and utility of the SQMS? In this presentation, we will focus on radiochemistry laboratories and non-traditional applications of SQMS, and how to modify most systems to obtain further information, including: 1? Identification of possible side products, 2) use of fragmentation ion source settings to obtain further structural information, 3) The determination of the parent ion and possible metabolites in plasma samples, 4) The use of a trap and release system to concentrate dilute samples to allow for the determination of molecular ions and metabolites, 5) quantitation and identification of the parent compound in solutions, 6) development of reformulation methodologies using cold standards – at levels that normally seen in PET or SPECT preparations.

---

For a first look at the iASAP probe, watch our latest product video now:

“We have the expression linked to an HPLC instrument and it is used as an open access system. The combination of UV purity data along with MS confirmation is incredibly powerful for our chemists. The instrument is networked so our chemists can then process and review data from their desks.”

The scientific investigation of cultural heritage objects is the only access to knowledge about long-gone, ancient societies and their cultural, technological as well as their social  stage of development. In addition, the materials used by our ancestors, e.g. their textiles and the organic dyestuff to colorize these materials, allow researchers to draw some conclusions about cultural exchanges and trading routes. But in-depth knowledge about materials and dyestuff is also of highest importance for proper conservation and restauration of these materials. Specimens, however, are rare and available only in minute amounts. For their investigation preferentially non-destructive or at least minimal invasive methods have to be used.

The cannabinoid makeup of cannabis has significantly changed over the past few decades. Efforts to increase the psychotropic effects of cannabis have resulted in a THC content for current strains of the crop of 30 to 40 percent compared with only 5 percent 30 years ago. Up-regulating the THC content of the plant causes a loss of other cannabinoids the plant is producing. Some of these other cannabinoids, such as CBD, are believed to be responsible for its medical benefits.

Plate ExpressTM is a device that provides a simple, automated means of obtaining mass spectra directly from TLC plates, creating a technique known as TLC/MS. Combined with Advion’s expression® compact mass spectrometer (CMS) this becomes TLC/CMS. Using this technique chemists can quickly and confidently identify products even in complex mixtures without additional sample preparation.

Natural products, the underlying active components and their use in traditional medicine are of increased interest in the field of pharmaceutical research. The naturally occurring active ingredients are ideal chemical starting structures to improve upon in the  pharmaceutical drug development process and consequently half of all currently approved  drugs in the US are based on natural products. It is therefore not surprising that natural product analysis is a field of major interest world wide. Here, we present a simple example  of the added benefits of mass spectrometry in typical natural product analysis workflows based on an alcoholic extract of nutmeg.

This application note presents an online thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/CMS technique using the Advion expression compact mass spectrometer (CMS) and Plate ExpressTM interface to provide compound structural information without sample preparation after TLC separation. A Suzuki reaction for the synthesis of 4-aminobiphenyl will be demonstrated. The online TLC/CMS technique provides rapid and accurate determination of reaction mixture components without the need for off-line TLC sample preparation procedures.

Analysis of the active components of the cannabis sativa plant is required both for law enforcement where these compounds are illegal and also as a tool for product control and optimization in the increasing number of legal markets for cannabis plant products. Whenever simple, unequivocal and legally defensible  analysis methods for the detection and quantification of plant  metabolites are required, mass spectrometry is the detector of  choice.

Sudan Dyes are synthesized azo-dyes which are widely used to generate color in plastics, leather, fabrics, oil, waxes, etc. They are classified as Group 3 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and are banned as food additives worldwide. However, in some countries these dyes are still occasionally used in order to intensify the color in products. In this note, a TLC/CMS method using expression compact mass spectrometer (CMS) coupled with the Plate ExpressTM Interface (Advion, Ithaca, NY) is introduced for the detection of 7 Sudan dyes in a chili matrix. The primary advantage of TLC/CMS analysis is the ability to sample directly from the TLC plate without further sample preparation after the TLC separation is done. Molecular weight information of sample components can be determined by the mass spectra from the eluted TLC spots.

With over 20 years of mass spectrometry and chemistry expertise, Advion has produced a family of compact mass spectrometers designed for the chemist. The affordability, small size and ease of use make them ideal for use directly at the chemist’s bench, giving immediate answers and informed decisions instead of waiting.