Ian K. Webb

Experimental Evaluation and Optimization of Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations for Ion Mobility Spectrometry with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

We report on the performance of structures for lossless ion manipulation (SLIM) as a means for transmitting ions and performing ion mobility separations (IMS). Ions were successfully transferred from an electrospray ionization (ESI) source to the TOF MS analyzer by means of a linear SLIM, demonstrating lossless ion transmission and an alternative arrangement including a 90° turn. First, the linear geometry was optimized for radial confinement by tuning RF on the central “rung” electrodes and potentials on the DC-only guard electrodes. Selecting an appropriate DC guard bias (2–6 V) and RF amplitude (≥160 Vp-p at 750 kHz) resulted in the greatest ion intensities. Close to ideal IMS resolving power was maintained over a significant range of applied voltages. Second, the 90° turn was optimized for radial confinement by tuning RF on the rung electrodes and DC on the guard electrodes. However, both resolving power and ion transmission showed a dependence on these voltages, and the best conditions for both were >300 Vp-p RF (685 kHz) and 7–11 V guard DC bias. Both geometries provide IMS resolving powers at the theoretical limit (R ∼ 58), showing that degraded resolution from a “racetrack” effect from turning around a corner can be successfully avoided, and the capability also was maintained for essentially lossless ion transmission.

Ion Trapping, Storage, and Ejection in Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

A new Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) module, having electrode arrays patterned on a pair of parallel printed circuit boards (PCB), was constructed and utilized to investigate capabilities for ion trapping at a pressure of 4 Torr. Positive ions were confined by application of RF voltages to a series of inner rung electrodes with alternating phase on adjacent electrodes, in conjunction with positive DC potentials on surrounding guard electrodes on each PCB. An axial DC field was also introduced by stepwise varying the DC potentials applied to the inner rung electrodes to control the ion transport and accumulation inside the ion trapping region. We show that ions can be trapped and accumulated with up to 100% efficiency, stored for at least 5 h with no significant losses, and then could be rapidly ejected from the SLIM trap. The present results provide a foundation for the development of much more complex SLIM devices that facilitate extended ion manipulations.

Simulation of electric potentials and ion motion in planar electrode structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM).

AbstractWe report a conceptual study and computational evaluation of novel planar electrode structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM). Planar electrode SLIM components were designed that allow for flexible ion confinement, transport, and storage using a combination of radio frequency (rf) and DC fields. Effective potentials can be generated that provide near ideal regions for confining and manipulating ions in the presence of a gas. Ion trajectory simulations using SIMION 8.1 demonstrated the capability for lossless ion motion in these devices over a wide m/z range and a range of electric fields at low pressures (e.g., a few Torr). More complex ion manipulations (e.g., turning ions by 90o and dynamically switching selected ion species into orthogonal channels) are also shown feasible. The performance of SLIM devices at ~4 Torr pressure for performing ion mobility-based separations (IMS) is computationally evaluated and compared with initial experimental results, and both are also shown to agree closely with experimental and theoretical IMS performance for a conventional drift tube design. Graphical Abstractᅟ

Characterization of Ion Dynamics in Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulation (SLIM) represent a novel class of ion optical devices based upon electrodes patterned on planar surfaces, and relying on a combined action of radiofrequency and DC electric fields and specific buffer gas density conditions. Initial experimental studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the SLIM concept. This report offers an in-depth consideration of key ion dynamics properties in such devices based upon ion optics theory and computational modeling. The SLIM devices investigated are formed by two surfaces, each having an array of radiofrequency (RF) “rung” electrodes, bordered by DC “guard” electrodes. Ion motion is confined by the RF effective potential in the direction orthogonal to the boards and limited or controlled in the transversal direction by the guard DC potentials. Ions can be efficiently trapped and stored in SLIM devices where the confinement of ions can be “soft” in regard to the extent of collisional activation, similarly to RF-only multipole ion guides and traps. The segmentation of the RF rung electrodes and guards along the axis makes it possible to apply static or transient electric field profiles to stimulate ion transfer within a SLIM. In the case of a linear DC gradient applied to RF rungs and guards, a virtually uniform electric field can be created along the axis of the device, enabling high quality ion mobility separations.

Integrating ion mobility spectrometry into mass spectrometry-based exposome measurements: what can it add and how far can it go?

Measuring the exposome remains a challenge due to the range and number of anthropogenic molecules that are encountered in our daily lives, as well as the complex systemic responses to these exposures. One option for improving the coverage, dynamic range and throughput of measurements is to incorporate ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) into current MS-based analytical methods. The implementation of IMS in exposomics studies will lead to more frequent observations of previously undetected chemicals and metabolites. LC-IMS-MS will provide increased overall measurement dynamic range, resulting in detections of lower abundance molecules. Alternatively, the throughput of IMS-MS alone will provide the opportunity to analyze many thousands of longitudinal samples over lifetimes of exposure, capturing evidence of transitory accumulations of chemicals or metabolites. The volume of data corresponding to these new chemical observations will almost certainly outpace the generation of reference data to enable their confident identification. In this perspective, we briefly review the state-of-the-art in measuring the exposome, and discuss the potential use for IMS-MS and the physico-chemical property of collisional cross section in both exposure assessment and molecular identification.

Characterization of Traveling Wave Ion Mobility Separations in Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

We report on the development and characterization of a traveling wave (TW)-based Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (TW-SLIM) module for ion mobility separations (IMS). The TW-SLIM module uses parallel arrays of rf electrodes on two closely spaced surfaces for ion confinement, where the rf electrodes are separated by arrays of short electrodes, and using these TWs can be created to drive ion motion. In this initial work, TWs are created by the dynamic application of dc potentials. The capabilities of the TW-SLIM module for efficient ion confinement, lossless ion transport, and ion mobility separations at different rf and TW parameters are reported. The TW-SLIM module is shown to transmit a wide mass range of ions (m/z 200-2500) utilizing a confining rf waveform (∼1 MHz and ∼300 Vp-p) and low TW amplitudes (<20 V). Additionally, the short TW-SLIM module achieved resolutions comparable to existing commercially available low pressure IMS platforms and an ion mobility peak capacity of ∼32 for TW speeds of <210 m/s. TW-SLIM performance was characterized over a wide range of rf and TW parameters and demonstrated robust performance. The combined attributes of the flexible design and low voltage requirements for the TW-SLIM module provide a basis for devices capable of much higher resolution and more complex ion manipulations.

Mobility-Selected Ion Trapping and Enrichment Using Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

The integration of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) with mass spectrometry (MS) and the ability to trap ions in IMS-MS measurements is of great importance for performing reactions, accumulating ions, and increasing analytical measurement sensitivity. The development of Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) offers the potential for ion manipulations in an extended and more effective manner, while opening opportunities for many more complex sequences of manipulations. Here, we demonstrate an ion separation and trapping module and a method based upon SLIM that consists of a linear mobility ion drift region, a switch/tee and a trapping region that allows the isolation and accumulation of mobility-separated species. The operation and optimization of the SLIM switch/tee and trap are described and demonstrated for the enrichment of the low abundance ions. A linear improvement in ion intensity was observed with the number of trapping/accumulation events using the SLIM trap, illustrating its potential for enhancing the sensitivity of low abundance or targeted species.

Lipid and glycolipid isomer analyses using ultra-high resolution ion mobility spectrometry separations

Understanding the biological roles and mechanisms of lipids and glycolipids is challenging due to the vast number of possible isomers that may exist. Mass spectrometry (MS) measurements are currently the dominant approach for studying and providing detailed information on lipid and glycolipid presence and changes. However, difficulties in distinguishing the many structural isomers, due to the distinct lipid acyl chain positions, double bond locations or specific glycan types, inhibit the delineation and assignment of their biological roles. Here we utilized ultra-high resolution ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separations by applying traveling waves in a serpentine multi-pass Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) platform to enhance the separation of selected lipid and glycolipid isomers. The multi-pass arrangement allowed the investigation of paths ranging from ~16 m (one pass) to ~60 m (four passes) for the distinction of lipids and glycolipids with extremely small structural differences. These ultra-high resolution SLIM IMS-MS analyses provide a foundation for exploring and better understanding isomer-specific biological activities and disease processes.

Achieving High Resolution Ion Mobility Separations Using Traveling Waves in Compact Multiturn Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

We report on ion mobility (IM) separations achievable using traveling waves (TW) in a Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) module having a 44 cm path length and 16 90° turns. The performance of the TW-SLIM module was evaluated for ion transmission and IM separations with different RF, TW parameters, and SLIM surface gaps in conjunction with mass spectrometry. In this work, TWs were created by the transient and dynamic application of DC potentials. The module demonstrated highly robust performance and, even with 16 closely spaced turns, achieving IM resolution performance and ion transmission comparable to a similar straight path module. We found an IM peak capacity of ∼31 and peak generation rate of 780 s(-1) for TW speeds of ∼80 m/s using the current multi-turn TW-SLIM module. The separations achieved for isomers of peptides and tetrasaccharides were found to be comparable to those from a ∼0.9-m drift tube-based IM-MS platform operated at the same pressure (4 Torr). The combined attributes of flexible design, low voltage requirements and lossless ion transmission through multiple turns for the present TW-SLIM module provides a basis for SLIM devices capable of achieving much greater IM resolution via greatly extended ion path lengths and using compact serpentine designs.

Serpentine Ultralong Path with Extended Routing (SUPER) High Resolution Traveling Wave Ion Mobility-MS using Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

Ion mobility (IM) separations have a broad range of analytical applications, but insufficient resolution often limits their utility. Here, we report on ion mobility separations in a structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM) serpentine ultralong path with extended routing (SUPER) traveling wave (TW) ion mobility (IM) module in conjunction with mass spectrometry (MS). Ions were confined in the SLIM by rf fields in conjunction with a DC guard bias, enabling essentially lossless TW transmission over greatly extended paths. The extended routing utilized multiple passes (e.g., ∼1094 m over 81 passes through the 13.5 m serpentine path) and was facilitated by the introduction of a lossless ion switch that allowed ions to be directed to either the MS detector or for another pass through the serpentine separation region, allowing theoretically unlimited IM path lengths. The multipass SUPER IM-MS provided resolution approximately proportional to the square root of the number of passes (or total path length). More than 30-fold higher IM resolution (∼340 vs ∼10) for Agilent tuning mix m/z 622 and 922 ions was achieved for 40 passes compared to commercially available drift tube IM and other TWIM-based platforms. An initial evaluation of the isomeric sugars lacto-N-hexaose and lacto-N-neohexaose showed the isomeric structures to be baseline resolved, and a new conformational feature for lacto-N-neohexaose was revealed after 9 passes. The new SLIM SUPER high resolution TWIM platform has broad utility in conjunction with MS and is expected to enable a broad range of previously challenging or intractable separations.