Enhancement of Compound Selectivity Using a Radio Frequency Ion- Funnel Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer: Improved Specificity for Explosive Compounds

A key issue with any analytical system based on mass
spectrometry with no initial separation of compounds is to have a high level
of confidence in chemical assignment. This is particularly true for areas of
security, such as airports, and recent terrorist attacks have highlighted the need
for reliable analytical instrumentation. Proton transfer reaction mass
spectrometry is a useful technology for these purposes because the chances
of false positives are small owing to the use of a mass spectrometric analysis.
However, the detection of an ion at a given m/z for an explosive does not
guarantee that that explosive is present. There is still some ambiguity associated
with any chemical assignment owing to the presence of isobaric compounds
and, depending on mass resolution, ions with the same nominal m/z. In this
article we describe how for the first time the use of a radio frequency ion-funnel
(RFIF) in the reaction region (drift tube) of a proton transfer reaction−time-offlight−
mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) can be used to enhance specificity by
manipulating the ion−molecule chemistry through collisional induced processes. Results for trinitrotoluene, dinitrotoluenes, and
nitrotoluenes are presented to demonstrate the advantages of this new RFIF-PTR-ToF-MS for analytical chemical purposes