HPLC, UHPLC

The development of the ion trap as a detector for Liquid Chromatography

Author: Mark Harrison, ThermoFisher Scientific on behalf of Thermo Fisher Scientific (UK) Ltd

Free to read

This article has been unlocked and is ready to read.

Download

Since its commercial introduction as a detector for LC in 1995 the ion trap has arguably been more significant than any other mass analyser in making mass spectrometry accessible to a broad range of chromatographers. The ion trap itself has undergone more technical innovations in its short lifetime than any other detector for LC.

HPLC coupled to the atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) source, with its production of ions external to the mass analyser made this a very robust, sensitive and easy to use LC/MS interface. Before the introduction of the ion trap, detectors based upon the quadrupole were the most widely used for LC/MS. Whilst the triple stage quadrupole (TSQ) was, and still is, the workhorse for quantitative analysis they suffered from a lack of sensitivity for qualitative work which required full scan information. The API techniques generated molecular weight information but tandem MS experiments were needed to obtain structural information. The introduction of the ion trap suddenly made it possible for anyone, even with very little experience, to obtain MS/MS spectra from low level chromatographic components. The sorts of experiments which had previously been the domain of the “expert” mass spectrometrist were now available to all. The ion trap also had the unique feature of being able to generate multiple stages of MS/MS known as MSn. This opened up new areas of structural work that could be undertaken with LC /MS analysis.

Free to read

This article has been unlocked and is ready to read.

Download


Events

HPLC 2025

Jun 15 2025 Bruges, Belgium

LabAsia 2025

Jul 14 2025 Kuala Lumpur, Malaylsia

SinS Solutions in Science

Jul 15 2025 Brighton, UK

ACS National Meeting - Fall 2025

Aug 17 2025 Washington DC, USA & Virtual

MC 2025

Aug 31 2025 Karlsruhe, Germany

View all events