Amy M. McKenna

Petroleomics: advanced molecular probe for petroleum heavy ends

To look into complex mixtures of petroleum heavy ends at the molecular level, ultra high-resolution mass spectrometry, i.e. resolving power > 50,000, is needed to resolve overlapping components for accurate determination of molecular composition of individual components. Recent progress in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) incorporated with soft ionization techniques adaptable to liquid chromatography enables analysis of petroleum high ends, i.e., heavy oils, residua and asphaltenes. FT-ICR MS at the Future Fuels Institute of Florida State University and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) routinely provides 1,000,000 resolving power at 400 Da, with root mean square (rms) mass measurement accuracy between 30 and 500 ppb for 5000-30,000 identified species in a single mass spectrum. Phase correction of the detected ion signal increases resolving power 40-100%, improving mass accuracy up to twofold. Overlapping ionic species that differ in mass by as little as one electron mass (548 µDa) can be resolved. A database of more than 100,000 components of different elemental composition has been generated at NHMFL.

Petroleum crude oil characterization by IMS-MS and FTICR MS.

Here, complementary ion mobility/mass spectrometry (IM/MS) and ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS analyses of light, medium, and heavy petroleum crude oils yielded distributions of the heteroatom-containing hydrocarbons, as well as multiple conformational classes. The IM/MS technique provides unique fingerprints for fast identification of signature conformational/compositional patterns, whereas FTICR MS analysis provides comprehensive heteroatom class distributions. IM/MS and FTICR MS results reveal an increase in compositional complexity in proceeding from light to medium to heavy crude oils. Inspection of the mobility results shows a high structural diversity for the C(n)H(h)XY (XY = N(1), S(1), N(1), O(1), NS, SO(1-2), NO(1-2), etc.) series, as well as a shift from planar to more compact three-dimensional structures with increasing mass.

Electrically compensated Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance cell for complex mixture mass analysis.

Complex natural organic mixtures such as petroleum require ultrahigh mass spectral resolution to separate and identify thousands of elemental compositions. Here, we incorporate a custom-built, voltage-compensated ICR cell for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS), based on a prior design by Tolmachev to produce optimal mass resolution. The compensated ICR cell installed in a custom-built 9.4 T FTICR mass spectrometer consists of seven cylindrical segments with axial proportions designed to generate a dc trapping potential that approaches an ideal three-dimensional axial quadrupolar potential. However, the empirically optimized compensation voltages do not correspond to the most quadrupolar trapping field. The compensation electrodes minimize variation in the reduced cyclotron frequency by balancing imperfections in the magnetic and electric field. The optimized voltages applied to compensation electrodes preserve ion cloud coherence for longer transient duration by approximately a factor of 2, enabling separation and identification of isobaric species (compounds with the same nominal mass but different exact mass) common in petroleum, such as C(3) vs SH(4) (separated by 3.4 mDa) and SH(3)(13)C vs (12)C(4) (separated by 1.1 mDa). The improved performance of the ICR cell provides more symmetric peak shape and better mass measurement accuracy. A positive ion atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) petroleum spectrum yields more than 26,000 assigned peaks, Fourier-limited resolving power of 800,000 at m/z 500 (6.6 s transient duration), and 124 part per billion root mean square (rms) error. The tunability of the compensation electrodes is critical for optimal performance.

Expansion of the Analytical Window for Oil Spill Characterization by Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry: Beyond Gas Chromatography

Traditional tools for routine environmental analysis and forensic chemistry of petroleum have relied almost exclusively on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), although many compounds in crude oil (and its transformation products) are not chromatographically separated or amenable to GC-MS due to volatility. To enhance current and future studies on the fate, transport, and fingerprinting of the Macondo well oil released from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, we created an extensive molecular library of the unadulterated petroleum to compare to a tar ball collected on the beach of Louisiana. We apply ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry to identify compositional changes at the molecular level between native and weathered crude oil samples and reveal enrichment in polar compounds inaccessible by GC-based characterization. The outlined approach provides unprecedented detail with the potential to enhance insight into the environmental fate of spilled oil, improved toxicology, molecular modeling of biotic/abiotic weathering, and comprehensive molecular characterization for petroleum-derived releases. Here, we characterize more than 30,000 acidic, basic, and nonpolar unique neutral elemental compositions for the Macondo well crude oil, to provide an archive for future chemical analyses of the environmental consequences of the oil spill.

Characterization of pyrogenic black carbon by desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

We present a new method for molecular characterization of intact biochar directly, without sample preparation or pretreatment, on the basis of desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization (DAPPI) coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry. Conventional ionization methods (e.g., electrospray or atmospheric pressure photoionization) for characterization of natural organic matter have limited utility for the characterization of chars due to incomplete solubility in common solvents. Therefore, direct ionization techniques that do not require sample dissolution prior to analysis are ideal. Here, we apply DAPPI FTICR mass spectrometry to enable the first molecular characterization of uncharred parent oak biomass and after combustion (250 °C) or pyrolysis (400 °C). Parent oak is primarily composed of cellulose-, lignin-, and resin-like compounds. Oak combusted at 250 °C contains condensed aromatic compounds with low H/C and O/C ratios while retaining compounds with high H/C and O/C ratios. The bimodal distribution of aromatic and aliphatic compounds observed in the combusted oak sample is attributed to incomplete thermal degradation of lignin and hemicellulose. Pyrolyzed oak constituents exhibit lower H/C and O/C ratios: approximately three-quarters of the identified species are aromatic. DAPPI FTICR MS results agree with bulk elemental composition as well as functional group distributions determined by elemental analysis and solid state (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Complete molecular characterization of biomass upon thermal transformation may provide insight into the biogeochemical cycles of biochar and future renewable energy sources, particularly for samples currently limited by solubility, separation, and sample preparation.

The coupling of direct analysis in real time ionization to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for ultrahigh-resolution mass analysis

Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) is an ambient ionization technique for mass spectrometry that provides rapid and sensitive analyses with little or no sample preparation. DART has been reported primarily for mass analyzers of low to moderate resolving power such as quadrupole ion traps and time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers. In the current work, a custom-built DART source has been successfully coupled to two different Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers for the first time. Comparison of spectra of the isobaric compounds, diisopropyl methylphosphonate and theophylline, acquired by 4.7 T FT-ICR MS and TOF MS, demonstrates that the TOF resolving power can be insufficient for compositionally complex samples. 9.4 T FT-ICR MS yielded the highest mass resolving power yet reported with DART ionization for 1,2-benzanthracene and 9,10-diphenylanthracene. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exhibit a spatial dependence in ionization mechanisms between the DART source and the mass spectrometer. The feasibility of analyzing a variety of samples was established with the introduction and analysis of food products and crude oil samples. DART FT-ICR MS provides complex sample analysis that is rapid, highly selective and information-rich, but limited to relatively low-mass analytes.

Synthesis and characterization of lignin-based carbon materials with tunable microstructure

Lignin-based carbons can be used as a low-cost alternative to graphite and petroleum-based carbons enabling the production of sustainable, functional carbon materials for various applications. The microstructure development of these carbons can be controlled through chemical modification of the lignin precursor and choice of carbonization parameters. In this work, microstructured carbon materials are synthesized from lignin using a combination of chemical modification and carbon fiber processing techniques. Lignin is modified by incorporating different ester groups which results in a precursor highly compatible with melt processing using the fiber extrusion technique and conversion into microstructured carbons by oxidative stabilization and subsequent carbonization. Furthermore, the impact of esterifications on precursor chemistry and carbonizations is investigated. A nuclear magnetic resonance study of modified lignins shows characteristic spectral changes as a result of esterifications. Ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry shows the modification process does not affect the polymeric character of the lignin backbone. Esterifications result in moderate shifts in O:C and H:C ratios. Thermogravimetric analysis of lignins reveals distinct differences in mass loss trends during oxidations and carbonizations.

Atmospheric Pressure Laser-Induced Acoustic Desorption Chemical Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Complex Mixtures

We present a novel nonresonant laser-based matrix-free atmospheric pressure ionization technique, atmospheric pressure laser-induced acoustic desorption chemical ionization (AP/LIAD-CI). The technique decouples analyte desorption from subsequent ionization by reagent ions generated from a corona discharge initiated in ambient air or in the presence of vaporized toluene as a CI dopant at room temperature. Analyte desorption is initiated by a shock wave induced in a titanium foil coated with electrosprayed sample, irradiated from the rear side by high-energy laser pulses. The technique enables facile and independent optimization of the analyte desorption, ionization, and sampling events, for coupling to any mass analyzer with an AP interface. Moreover, the generated analyte ions are efficiently thermalized by collisions with atmospheric gases, thereby reducing fragmentation. We have coupled AP/LIAD-CI to ultrahigh-resolution FT-ICR MS to generate predominantly [M + H](+) or M(+•) ions to resolve and identify thousands of elemental compositions from organic mixtures as complex as petroleum crude oil distillates. Finally, we have optimized the AP/LIAD CI process and investigated ionization mechanisms by systematic variation of placement of the sample, placement of the corona discharge needle, discharge current, gas flow rate, and inclusion of toluene as a dopant.

Oil spill source identification by principal component analysis of electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra.

One fundamental challenge with either acute or chronic oil spills is to identify the source, especially in highly polluted areas, near natural oil seeps, when the source contains more than one petroleum product or when extensive weathering has occurred. Here we focus on heavy fuel oil that spilled (~200,000 L) from two suspected fuel tanks that were ruptured on the motor vessel (M/V) Cosco Busan when it struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in November 2007. We highlight the utility of principal component analysis (PCA) of elemental composition data obtained by high resolution FT-ICR mass spectrometry to correctly identify the source of environmental contamination caused by the unintended release of heavy fuel oil (HFO). Using ultrahigh resolution electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, we uniquely assigned thousands of elemental compositions of heteroatom-containing species in neat samples from both tanks and then applied principal component analysis. The components were based on double bond equivalents for constituents of elemental composition, CcHhN1S1. To determine if the fidelity of our source identification was affected by weathering, field samples were collected at various intervals up to two years after the spill. We are able to identify a suite of polar petroleum markers that are environmentally persistent, enabling us to confidently identify that only one tank was the source of the spilled oil: in fact, a single principal component could account for 98% of the variance. Although identification is unaffected by the presence of higher polarity, petrogenic oxidation (weathering) products, future studies may require removal of such species by anion exchange chromatography prior to mass spectral analysis due to their preferential ionization by ESI.

Sunlight creates oxygenated species in water-soluble fractions of Deepwater Horizon oil.

In order to assess the impact of sunlight on oil fate, Macondo well oil from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) rig was mixed with pure water and irradiated with simulated sunlight. After irradiation, the water-soluble organics (WSO) from the dark and irradiated samples were extracted and characterized by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Liquid-liquid extraction yielded two fractions from dark and irradiated water/oil mixtures: acidic WSOs (negative-ion electrospray (ESI)), and base/neutral WSOs (positive-ion ESI) coupled to FT-ICR MS to catalog molecular-level transformations that occur to Macondo-derived WSOs after solar irradiation. Such direct measure of oil phototransformation has not been previously reported. The most abundant heteroatom class detected in the irradiated WSO acid fractions correspond to molecules that contain five oxygens (O5), while the most abundant acids in the dark samples contain two oxygen atoms per molecule (O2). Higher-order oxygen classes (O5-O9) were abundant in the irradiated samples, but <1.5% relative abundance in the dark sample. The increased abundance of higher-order oxygen classes in the irradiated samples relative to the dark samples indicates that photooxidized components of the Macondo crude oil become water-soluble after irradiation. The base/neutral fraction showed decreased abundance of pyridinic nitrogen (N1) concurrent with an increased abundance of N1Ox classes after irradiation. The predominance of higher-order oxygen classes indicates that multiple photochemical pathways exist that result in oxidation of petroleum compounds.