Influence of Solvent Composition on the Identity of Ions Formed by Pyrolysis Electrospray Ionization (2012)
Undergraduates: Molly Le, Sandi Spencer
Faculty Advisor: Gary Glish
Department: Chemistry
Pyrolysis electrospray ionization (PyESI) is an ionization technique for aerosol particle sampling that leads to minimal in-source fragmentation. PyESI along with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) can be used to determine the structure of compounds ionized from a complex mixture. PyESI solvents preferentially ionize compounds in organic aerosols. Preliminary data indicates that different solvent compositions lead to preferential ionization. MS/MS was performed to determine the structure of the ions formed. To expand the utility of this technique to a wider range of compounds, different solvents and additives may be used to more thoroughly characterize the sample. To test the utility of this ion source, ethyl cellulose was ionized by PyESI using various solvent compositions, additives, and acidities.