ABSTRACT
Insights into the electrolysis of analytes at the electrode surface of an electrospray (ES) emitter capillary are realized through an examination of the results from off-line chronopotentiometry experiments and from mass transport calculations for flow through tubular electrodes. The expected magnitudes and trends in the interfacial potential in an ES emitter under different solution conditions and current densities, using different metal electrodes, are revealed by the chronopotentiometry data. The mass transport calculations reveal the electrode area required for complete analyte electrolysis at a given volumetric flow rate. On the basis of these two pieces of information, the design of ES emitters that may maximize and those that may minimize analyte electrolysis during ES mass spectrometry are discussed.
ABSTRACT
A systematic study of a dual-host system exhibiting pairwise anion/cation separations has been performed for CsNO3 extraction. Tripodal triamides 1-4 and 9 derived from condensation of hexanoic (for 1), octanoic (for 2), decanoic (for 3), lauric (for 4), and p-tert-butylbenzoic (for 9) acid with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) were used together with tetrabenzo-24-crown-8, a well-known Cs+ cation receptor. By using 5 mM crown ether in the organic phase and 10 mM CsNO3 with 0.1 mM HNO3 in the aqueous phase, tripods 1, 2, and 9 enhance CsNO3 extraction by factors of 2.4, 1.7, and 4.4, respectively (for 50 mM amide concentration), while the corresponding monoamide controls 5-8 derived from n-propylamine (5, 6) or N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine (7, 8) and hexanoic (5, 7) or octanoic (6, 8) acid derivatives gave no significant enhancement under the same conditions. This behavior may be ascribed to nitrate complexation by the triamides, which lowers the overall thermodynamic barrier for the salt transfer to the organic phase. The nitrate binding was confirmed by 1H NMR titration of receptor solutions, using tetrabutylammonium nitrate. Association constants for the formation of the anion-nitrate complexes were found to vary between 33 and 52 M-1 for the more soluble triamides. The synergistic effects for CsNO3 extraction are in reasonable agreement with the values predicted theoretically from the measured association constants. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed the predominant formation of 1:1 tripod-nitrate complexes. Monoamide controls gave no evidence of anion complexation.
ABSTRACT
Editorial Comment Last month we presented, as a Special Feature, a set of five articles that constituted a Commentary on the fundamentals and mechanism of electrospray ionization (ESI). These articles produced some lively discussion among the authors on the role of electrochemistry in ESI. Six authors participated in a detailed exchange of views on this topic, the final results of which constitute this month's Special Feature. We particularly hope that younger scientists will find value in this month's Special Feature, not only for the science that it teaches but also what it reveals about the processes by which scientific conclusions are drawn. To a degree, the contributions part the curtains on these processes and show science in action. We sincerely thank the contributors to this discussion. The give and take of intellectual debate is not always easy, and to a remarkable extent this set of authors has maintained good humor and friendships, even when disagreeing strongly on substance. Graham Cooks and Richard Caprioli Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ABSTRACT
A survey of derivatization strategies and prospective derivatization reactions for conversion of simple alkenes and alkynes to 'electrospray-active' species is presented. General synthetic strategies are discussed and illustrative examples of prospective derivatives prepared from model compounds are presented along with their electrospray ionization (ES) mass spectra. The identified derivatives of these neutral, nonpolar analytes are either ionic or are ionizable in solution through Bronsted acid/base chemistry, by Lewis acid/base chemistry, or by chemical or electrochemical electron-transfer chemistry. Once ionized, the derivatives are expected to be amenable to detection by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Derivatives are identified for positive and negative ion analysis of both alkenes and alkynes. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
