This work was funded by the Xinglin Talent Program of Chengdu University of TCM (No. 030058191), the Nature Science Foundation of Sichuan (2022NSFSC1470), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82204765).

1. Sample preparation
<ol>
	<li>Accurately weigh 1 g of the AMS sample, and place it in a conical flask with 30 mL of 80% methanol. Transfer the mixture to an ultrasound bath sonicator for 30 min of extraction at 25 &#176;C. Centrifuge the sample at 14,000 x g for 5 min. 
	NOTE: The frequency of the ultrasound bath sonicator is 40 KHz.</li>
	<li>Prepare an injection syringe and a microporous membrane filter (0.22 &#956;m, organic only). Filter the supernatant into a 2 mL sample bottle.</li>
</ol>
2. MS setting
<ol>
	<li>Turn on the switch of the vacuum pump. Open the main valve of the argon cylinder and the partial pressure valve, and adjust the pressure to approximately 0.3 MPa. Open the nitrogen valve. 
	NOTE: Wait for at least for 8 h to ensure a sufficient vacuum degree for the experimental conditions. Check that the gas pressure of argon and nitrogen is high enough before analysis.</li>
	<li>Launch the MS control software. Click on Heated SEI Source in the software panel, and enter the MS parameters, including the heater temperature (350 &#176;C), sheath gas flow rate (35 arb), aux gas flow rate (15 arb), spray voltage (3.8 KV for positive mode, &#8722;2.5 KV for negative mode), and capillary temperature (275 &#176;C). Click on the Apply button to activate the ion source.</li>
</ol>
3. LC prerun, method establishment, and MS acquisition
<ol>
	<li>Prepare mobile phase A and mobile phase B using 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and pure acetonitrile, respectively. Degas them in an ultrasound bath sonicator for at least 15 min. Connect the solutions to the A and B fluid passages, respectively (Figure 1A). Prepare a methanol-water (1:9 v/v) solution, and then fill it into the cleanout fluid bottles of the pump and injector by hand. 
	NOTE: The frequency of the ultrasound bath sonicator is 40 KHz.</li>
	<li>Launch the LC-MS control software.
	<ol>
		<li>Click on the Direct Control button to open the LC control panel. Open the purge valve in the counterclockwise direction on the pump module (Figure 1B).</li>
		<li>Click on the More Option button to open the pump setting, and set the purge parameters at 5 mLmin&#8722;1 for 3 min. Click on the Purge button to start the bubble removal. Subsequently, close the purge valve.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Click on the Prime Syringe, Wash Buffer Loop, and Wash Needle Externally buttons to rinse the syringe for three cycles, the loop for one cycle, and the needle for one cycle, respectively. Place the sample bottle in the sampler (Figure 1C).</li>
	<li>Click on the Instrument Setup button to open the method-editing window. Click on the New button to create a new LC-MS instrument method.</li>
	<li>Establish a total run time for the LC method. Next, enter values to set the pressure limit, total flow rate, flow gradient, sample temperature, column temperature, and ready temperature delta in the method-editing window. 
	NOTE: The default total flow rate of the mobile phase is constant at 0.3 mL/min with 50% A and 50% B and without column temperature in the absence of a chromatographic column. The default values of sample temperature and ready temperature delta are 15 &#176;C and 0.1 &#176;C, respectively. Other settings depend on the type of liquid chromatography column used.</li>
	<li>Select the General MS or MSn experiment type for the MS method. Enter values to configure the acquisition time, polarity, mass range, divert value number, and divert value duration. Click on the Save button to configure the settings as an instrument method. 
	NOTE: The default settings without a chromatography column are as follows: acquisition time, 2 min; polarity, positive or negative; mass range, 100 to 1,200; divert value number, 2; and divert value duration, 1.99 min.</li>
</ol>
4. Operating multiple-stage mass spectrometry
<ol>
	<li>Click on the Sequence Setup button to open the sequence table.
	<ol>
		<li>In the table, enter the following information: sample type, file name, path, sample ID, instrument method, position, and injection volume.</li>
		<li>Click on the Save button to record the sequence table, and then click on the Start Analysis button to implement the settings and initiate the MS acquisition. 
		NOTE: The default sample type is selected as unknown. The instrument method is the method saved in step 3.6. The sample bottle is placed in its unique location in the sample room. For example, RA1 is the first location in the first row of the red area in the sample room. The default injection volume is usually 2 &#956;L, which depends on the concentration of the sample.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Double-click on the raw file in explorer to load the MS data into the data processing software. In the base peak chromatogram (BPI), select the area with the maximum area under the curve (AUC) by clicking and dragging the mouse. The corresponding MS spectra will be displayed in the same window.</li>
	<li>Select a targeted ion for the next MS/MS analysis.
	<ol>
		<li>Reopen the method-editing window. In the MSn Setting table, set the m/z of the targeted ion to one decimal place in the Parent Mass column.</li>
		<li>Select Collision mode, and enter the collision energy (CE) value. Set the MS/MS scan range. Click on the Save button to record the MS method, and enter a new file name in the sequence table. Click on the Start button to initiate the MS/MS acquisition. 
		NOTE: The MS/MS scan range was 40%-130% of the targeted parent ion. The default CE value in collision-induced dissociation (CID) mode is 35%.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Double-click on the raw file in explorer to load the MS/MS raw file into the data processing software.
	<ol>
		<li>Identify the strongest fragment ion in the MS/MS spectrum, and enter its m/z value into the MSn method list. In the MSn Setting table, set the MS3 parameters, including collision mode, CE value, and scan range.</li>
		<li>Click on the Save button to record the MS method, and enter a new file name in the sequence table. Click on the Start button to initiate the MS3 acquisition.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Double-click on the raw file in explorer to load the MS3 raw file into the data processing software. Repeat step 4.4 to obtain the MS4 spectrum.</li>
	<li>Complete the MSn experiment when no stable fragment ions are observed in the spectrum.</li>
</ol>
5. Manual MSn data analysis
<ol>
	<li>Double-click on the raw files to open all the mass spectra from MS to MSn. Manually calculate the m/z difference values between the ion and the corresponding fragment ions. 
	NOTE: For example, the m/z difference value between the ion (m/z 617.25) and the corresponding fragment ions (m/z 571.28) was 45.97 in MS/MS, the m/z difference value between the ion (m/z 571.28) and corresponding fragment ions (m/z 525.38) was 45.90 in MS3, and the m/z difference values between the ion (m/z 525.38) and the corresponding fragment ions (m/z 344.93 and 273.16) were 180.45 and 252.22 in MS4, respectively.</li>
	<li>Manually draw the &#34;core&#34; structure according to MS4 results (the last level of MSn). Manually derive the original structure using functional groups or molecular segments based on the m/z difference value. Manually draw the molecular cleavage paths according to each molecular structure in MSn. Examples of manual molecular derivation are detailed in the representative results section.</li>
</ol>

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	<li>Chen, X. -. F., Wu, H. -. T., Tan, G. -. G., Zhu, Z. -. Y., Chai, Y. -. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Liquid+chromatography+coupled+with+time-of-flight+and+ion+trap+mass+spectrometry+for+qualitative+analysis+of+herbal+medicines.">Liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight and ion trap mass spectrometry for qualitative analysis of herbal medicines.</a> Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. 1 (4), 235-245 (2011).</li><li>Ou, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Systematically+investigating+the+pharmacological+mechanism+of+Dazhu+Hongjingtian+in+the+prevention+and+treatment+of+acute+mountain+sickness+by+integrating+UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS+analysis+and+network+pharmacology.">Systematically investigating the pharmacological mechanism of Dazhu Hongjingtian in the prevention and treatment of acute mountain sickness by integrating UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis and network pharmacology.</a> Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 179, 113028 (2020).</li><li>Kind, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+small+molecules+using+accurate+mass+MS/MS+search.">Identification of small molecules using accurate mass MS/MS search.</a> Mass Spectrometry Reviews. 37 (4), 513-532 (2018).</li><li>Phetsanthad, A., Vu, N. Q., Li, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multi-faceted+mass+spectrometric+investigation+of+neuropeptides+in+Callinectes+sapidus.">Multi-faceted mass spectrometric investigation of neuropeptides in Callinectes sapidus.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (183), e63322 (2022).</li><li>Seetaloo, N., Phillips, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Millisecond+hydrogen/deuterium-exchange+mass+spectrometry+for+the+study+of+alpha-synuclein+structural+dynamics+under+physiological+conditions.">Millisecond hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry for the study of alpha-synuclein structural dynamics under physiological conditions.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (184), e64050 (2022).</li><li>Karas, B. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dose+uptake+of+platinum-and+ruthenium-based+compound+exposure+in+zebrafish+by+inductively+coupled+plasma+mass+spectrometry+with+broader+applications.">Dose uptake of platinum-and ruthenium-based compound exposure in zebrafish by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with broader applications.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (182), e6358 (2022).</li><li>Chang, H. -. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Uracil-DNA+glycosylase+assay+by+matrix-assisted+laser+desorption/ionization+time-of-flight+mass+spectrometry+analysis.">Uracil-DNA glycosylase assay by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. 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Environment. , (2022).</li><li>Hua, Y., Jenke, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Increasing+the+sensitivity+of+an+LC-MS+method+for+screening+material+extracts+for+organic+extractables+via+mobile+phase+optimization.">Increasing the sensitivity of an LC-MS method for screening material extracts for organic extractables via mobile phase optimization.</a> Journal of Chromatographic Science. 50 (3), 213-227 (2012).</li><li>Kumar, S., Singh, A., Bajpai, V., Kumar, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+characterization+and+distribution+of+monoterpene+indole+alkaloids+in+Rauwolfia+species+by+Orbitrap+Velos+Pro+mass+spectrometer.">Identification characterization and distribution of monoterpene indole alkaloids in Rauwolfia species by Orbitrap Velos Pro mass spectrometer.</a> Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 118, 183-194 (2016).</li><li>Bayat, P., Lesage, D., Cole, R. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tutorial:+Ion+activation+in+tandem+mass+spectrometry+using+ultra-high+resolution+instrumentation.">Tutorial: Ion activation in tandem mass spectrometry using ultra-high resolution instrumentation.</a> Mass Spectrometry Reviews. 39 (5-6), 680-702 (2020).</li><li>Wu, S. -. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mass+spectrometric+determination+of+disulfide+linkages+in+recombinant+therapeutic+proteins+using+online+LC&#8722;MS+with+electron-transfer+dissociation.">Mass spectrometric determination of disulfide linkages in recombinant therapeutic proteins using online LC&#8722;MS with electron-transfer dissociation.</a> Analytical Chemistry. 81 (1), 112-122 (2009).</li><li>Echterbille, J., Quinton, L., Gilles, N., De Pauw, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ion+mobility+mass+spectrometry+as+a+potential+tool+to+assign+disulfide+bonds+arrangements+in+peptides+with+multiple+disulfide+bridges.">Ion mobility mass spectrometry as a potential tool to assign disulfide bonds arrangements in peptides with multiple disulfide bridges.</a> Analytical Chemistry. 85 (9), 4405-4413 (2013).</li></ol>

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

IT-MS and its MSn technology offer a new approach to identifying the structure of trace TCM compounds. Unlike Q-TOF-MS, which could not deeply identify the fragment ions, IT-MS with MSn technology excels due to its ability to isolate and accumulate ions. This article outlines a method for identifying trace compounds in Tibetan medicine using the IT-MS and MSn technique. The method utilizes the n value in MSn to determine the amount of fragment ion information provided. The cruc...

The qualitative analysis of trace components in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become a crucial topic in research. Due to the high numbers of compounds in TCM, it is difficult to isolate them for nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (NMR) or X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis, making mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods that only require low sample volumes increasingly popular. Additionally, liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with MS has been widely used in TCM research in recent years for the improved separation of complex samples and qualitative analysis of chemical compounds1. One common method is liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-TOF-MS), which is widely used in qualitative research on Tibetan medicine2. With this method, complex components are enriched and separated in an LC column, and the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of the adduct ions is observed using an MS detector. Searching tandem MS (MS/MS or MS2) databases is currently the fastest approach for confident compound annotations in small molecule analysis using quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) MS and Orbitrap MS3. However, the poor quality of databases and the presence of various isomers hinder the identification of unknown compounds. In addition, the information provided by the MS/MS database is limited4,5,6,7. It is significant to investigate the chemical compounds in each TCM using a general protocol that can be widely applied to other TCM.
IT-MS captures a wide range of ions by applying different radio frequency (RF) voltages to the ring electrodes8. IT-MS can perform time-series multiple-stage MS scans in diverse chronological orders, providing ingredient multiple-stage MS (MSn) fragmentation, where n is the number of product ion stages9. Linear IT-MS is considered the best for structure identification as it can be used for sequential MSn experiments10. Targeted ions can be isolated and accumulated in linear IT-MS1. The MSn (n &#8805; 3) in IT-MS provides more fragment information than MS/MS in Q-TOF-MS. Since IT-MS cannot lock the target ion and its fragment ions, it is a powerful tool for the structure elucidation of unknown compounds, including isomers1. MSn technology has been widely applied to the structural analysis of unknown proteins, peptides, and polysaccharides11,12. The abundance level of fragment ions in MSn provides more molecular fragment information on targeted compounds in complex samples than MS/MS in Q-TOF-MS. Hence, applying MSn technology to structural identification in TCM is essential.
Tibetan medicine is a significant component of TCM13, and these medicines are primarily derived from animals, plants, and minerals found in the plateau area14. The Tibetan medicine Abelmoschus manihot seeds (AMS) is the seed of Abelmoschus manihot (linn.) medicus. AMS is a traditional herbal medicine used to treat conditions such as atopic dermatitis, rheumatism, and leprosy. It contains chalcone, which possesses antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory effects15. In the present study, MSn procedures were improved, and a detailed method was developed to identify compound structures in the Tibetan medicine AMS using IT-MS and MSn. Certain MS parameters, including the ion mode, scanning range, and collision mode, were optimized to overcome problems in identifying trace compounds. This study aims to promote the standardized structure identification of trace compounds in TCM.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetonitrile</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>CAS 75-05-8</td>
			<td>LC-MS grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Formic Acid</td>
			<td>Knowles</td>
			<td>CAS 64-18-6</td>
			<td>HPLC grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Linear ion trap mass spectrometer</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>LTQ XL</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>liquid chromatograph</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>U3000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LTQ Tune</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>version 2.8.0</td>
			<td>MS control software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Methanol</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>CAS 67-56-1</td>
			<td>LC-MS grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pure water</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>CAS 7732-18-5</td>
			<td>LC-MS grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Xcalibur</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>version 2.0</td>
			<td>LC-IT-MS operational software</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

standardized identification of compound structure in tibetan medicine using ion trap mass spectrometry and multiple-stage fragmentation analysis

Tibetan medicines are complex and contain numerous unknown compounds, making in-depth research on their molecular structures crucial. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-TOF-MS) is commonly used to extract Tibetan medicine; however, many unpredictable unknown compounds remain after using the spectrum database. The present article developed a universal method for identifying components in Tibetan medicine using ion trap mass spectrometry (IT-MS). The method includes standardized and programmed protocols for sample preparation, MS setting, LC prerun, method establishment, MS acquisition, multiple-stage MS operation, and manual data analysis. Two representative compounds in the Tibetan medicine Abelmoschus manihot seeds were identified using multiple-stage fragmentation, with a detailed analysis of typical compound structures. In addition, the article discusses aspects such as ion mode selection, mobile phase adjustment, scanning range optimization, collision energy control, collision mode switchover, fragmentation factors, and limitations of the method. The developed standardized analysis method is universal and can be applied to unknown compounds in Tibetan medicine.

Cellobiose was used as a model to verify the feasibility of MSn in positive ion mode. As shown in Figure 2A, the ESI-MS (positive ion mode) of cellobiose [C12H22O11]+ produced the protonated molecule [M+H]+ at m/z 365. The product ion scan (CID-MS/MS) of [M+H]+ at m/z 365 resulted in the second fragment ion at m/z 305 (Figure 2B), which was further analyzed using MS3 and MS<s...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Standardized Identification of Compound Structure in Tibetan Medicine Using Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry and Multiple-Stage Fragmentation Analysis at JoVE.com

Standardized Identification of Compound Structure in Tibetan Medicine Using Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry and Multiple-Stage Fragmentation Analysis

Here, we describe a general protocol and design that could be applied to identify trace amounts and minor constituents in the complex natural product formulations (matrixes) in Tibetan medicine.

Tibetan medicines are complex and contain numerous unknown compounds, making in-depth research on their molecular structures crucial. Liquid ...

standardized-identification-compound-structure-tibetan-medicine-using

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

776 Views.  Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here, we describe a general protocol and design that could be applied to identify trace amounts and minor constituents in the complex natural product formulations (matrixes) in Tibetan medicine.

Video: Standardized Identification of Compound Structure in Tibetan Medicine Using Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry and Multiple-Stage Fragmentation Analysis

Sequencing of Plant Wall Heteroxylans Using Enzymic, Chemical (Methylation) and Physical (Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Techniques

This protocol describes the specific techniques used for the characterization of reducing end (RE) and internal region glycosyl sequence(s) of heteroxylans. De-starched wheat endosperm cell walls were isolated as an alcohol-insoluble residue (AIR)1 and sequentially extracted with water (W-sol Fr) and 1 M KOH containing 1% NaBH4 (KOH-sol Fr) as described by Ratnayake et al. (2014)2. Two different approaches (see summary in Figure 1) are adopted. In the first, intact W-sol AXs are treated with 2AB to tag the original RE backbone chain sugar residue and then treated with an endoxylanase to generate a mixture of 2AB-labelled RE and internal region reducing oligosaccharides, respectively. In a second approach, the KOH-sol Fr is hydrolyzed with endoxylanase to first generate a mixture of oligosaccharides which are subsequently labelled with 2AB. The enzymically released ((un)tagged) oligosaccharides from both W- and KOH-sol Frs are then methylated and the detailed structural analysis of both the native and methylated oligosaccharides is performed using a combination of MALDI-TOF-MS, RP-HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS and ESI-MSn. Endoxylanase digested KOH-sol AXs are also characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) that also provides information on the anomeric configuration. These techniques can be applied to other classes of polysaccharides using the appropriate endo-hydrolases.

Sequencing of Plant Wall Heteroxylans Using Enzymic, Chemical Methylation and Physical Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Techniques

This protocol describes the specific techniques used for the structural characterization of reducing end (RE) and internal region glycosyl sequence(s) of heteroxylans by tagging the RE with 2 aminobenzamide prior to enzymatic (endoxylanase) hydrolysis and then analysis of the resultant oligosaccharides using mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

This protocol describes the specific techniques used for the characterization of reducing end (RE) and internal region glycosyl sequence(s) of ...

Characterization, Quantification and Compound-specific Isotopic Analysis of Pyrogenic Carbon Using Benzene Polycarboxylic Acids (BPCA)

Fire-derived, pyrogenic carbon (PyC), sometimes called black carbon (BC), is the carbonaceous solid residue of biomass and fossil fuel combustion, such as char and soot. PyC is ubiquitous in the environment due to its long persistence, and its abundance might even increase with the projected increase in global wildfire activity and the continued burning of fossil fuel. PyC is also increasingly produced from the industrial pyrolysis of organic wastes, which yields charred soil amendments (biochar). Moreover, the emergence of nanotechnology may also result in the release of PyC-like compounds to the environment. It is thus a high priority to reliably detect, characterize and quantify these charred materials in order to investigate their environmental properties and to understand their role in the carbon cycle.
Here, we present the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) method, which allows the simultaneous assessment of PyC&#39;s characteristics, quantity and isotopic composition (13C and 14C) on a molecular level. The method is applicable to a very wide range of environmental sample materials and detects PyC over a broad range of the combustion continuum, i.e., it is sensitive to slightly charred biomass as well as high temperature chars and soot. The BPCA protocol presented here is simple to employ, highly reproducible, as well as easily extendable and modifiable to specific requirements. It thus provides a versatile tool for the investigation of PyC in various disciplines, ranging from archeology and environmental forensics to biochar and carbon cycling research.

Characterization, Quantification and Compound-specific Isotopic Analysis of Pyrogenic Carbon Using Benzene Polycarboxylic Acids BPCA

We present the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) method for assessing pyrogenic carbon (PyC) in the environment. The compound-specific approach uniquely provides simultaneous information about the characteristics, quantity and isotopic composition (13C and 14C) of PyC.

Fire-derived, pyrogenic carbon (PyC), sometimes called black carbon (BC), is the carbonaceous solid residue of biomass and fossil fuel combustion, such as ...

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

We demonstrate that direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry can be used to produce mass spectral profiles of botanical material, and that these chemical fingerprints can be used for plant species identification. The mass spectral data can be acquired rapidly and in a high throughput manner without the need for sample extraction, derivatization or pH adjustment steps. The use of this technique bypasses challenges presented by more conventional techniques including lengthy chromatography analysis times and resource intensive methods. The high throughput capabilities of the direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry protocol, coupled with multivariate statistical analysis processing of the data, provide not only class characterization of plants, but also yield species and varietal information. Here, the technique is demonstrated with two psychoactive plant products, Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) and Datura (Jimsonweed), which were subjected to direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry followed by statistical analysis processing of the mass spectral data. The application of these tools in tandem enabled the plant materials to be rapidly identified at the level of variety and species.

A method for species identification of botanical material by direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis is presented.

We demonstrate that direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry can be used to produce mass spectral profiles of botanical material, ...

Real-time Breath Analysis by Using Secondary Nanoelectrospray Ionization Coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have aroused considerable interest, since they can serve as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and environmental exposure in a non-invasive manner. In this work, we present a protocol to characterize the exhaled VOCs in real time by using secondary nanoelectrospray ionization coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (Sec-nanoESI-HRMS). The homemade Sec-nanoESI source was readily set up based on a commercial nanoESI source. Hundreds of peaks were observed in the background-subtracted mass spectra of exhaled breath, and the mass accuracy values are -4.0-13.5 ppm and -20.3-1.3 ppm in the positive and negative ion detection modes, respectively. The peaks were assigned with accurate elemental composition according to the accurate mass and isotopic pattern. Less than 30 s is used for one exhalation measurement, and it takes approximately 7 min for six replicated measurements.

A protocol for characterizing chemical composition of exhaled breath in real time by using secondary nanoelectrospray ionization coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry is demonstrated.

Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have aroused considerable interest, since they can serve as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and environmental ...

Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Oligo-peptoids

Peptoids are sequence-controlled peptide-mimicking oligomers consisting of N-alkylated glycine units. Among many potential applications, peptoids have been thought of as a type of molecular information storage. Mass spectrometry analysis has been considered the method of choice for sequencing peptoids. Peptoids can be synthesized via solid phase chemistry using a repeating two-step reaction cycle. Here we present a method to manually synthesize oligo-peptoids and to analyze the sequence of the peptoids using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques. The sample peptoid is a nonamer consisting of alternating N-(2-methyloxyethyl)glycine (Nme) and N-(2-phenylethyl)glycine (Npe), as well as an N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (Nae) at the N-terminus. The sequence formula of the peptoid is Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-NH2, where Ac is the acetyl group. The synthesis takes place in a commercially available solid-phase reaction vessel. The rink amide resin is used as the solid support to yield the peptoid with an amide group at the C-terminus. The resulting peptoid product is subjected to sequence analysis using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to an electrospray ionization source. The MS/MS measurement produces a spectrum of fragment ions resulting from the dissociation of charged peptoid. The fragment ions are sorted out based on the values of their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The m/z values of the fragment ions are compared against the nominal masses of theoretically predicted fragment ions, according to the scheme of peptoid fragmentation. The analysis generates a fragmentation pattern of the charged peptoid. The fragmentation pattern is correlated to the monomer sequence of the neutral peptoid. In this regard, MS analysis reads out the sequence information of the peptoids.

A protocol is described for the manual synthesis of oligo-peptoids followed by sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.

Peptoids are sequence-controlled peptide-mimicking oligomers consisting of N-alkylated glycine units. Among many potential applications, peptoids have ...

Imaging Corrosion at the Metal-Paint Interface Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Corrosion developed at the paint and aluminum (Al) metal-paint interface of an aluminum alloy is analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), illustrating that SIMS is a suitable technique to study the chemical distribution at a metal-paint interface. The painted Al alloy coupons are immersed in a salt solution or exposed to air only. SIMS provides chemical mapping and 2D molecular imaging of the interface, allowing direct visualization of the morphology of the corrosion products formed at the metal-paint interface and mapping of the chemical after corrosion occurs. The experimental procedure of this method is presented to provide technical details to facilitate similar research and highlight pitfalls that may be encountered during such experiments.

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is applied to demonstrate the chemical mapping and corrosion morphology at the metal-paint interface of an aluminum alloy after being exposed to a salt solution compared with a specimen exposed to air.

Corrosion developed at the paint and aluminum (Al) metal-paint interface of an aluminum alloy is analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass ...

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, metal-binding interactions, and conformational shape. Coupling ESI with ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) provides an instrumental technique that allows for simultaneous measurement of a peptide&#8217;s mass-to-charge (m/z) and collision cross section (CCS) that relate to its stoichiometry, protonation state, and conformational shape. The overall charge of a peptide complex is controlled by the protonation of 1) the peptide&#8217;s acidic and basic sites and 2) the oxidation state of the metal ion(s). Therefore, the overall charge state of a complex is a function of the pH of the solution that affects the peptides metal ion binding affinity. For ESI-IM-MS analyses, peptide and metal ions solutions are prepared from aqueous-only solutions, with the pH adjusted with dilute aqueous acetic acid or ammonium hydroxide. This allows for pH dependence and metal ion selectivity to be determined for a specific peptide. Furthermore, the m/z and CCS of a peptide complex can be used with B3LYP/LanL2DZ molecular modeling to discern binding sites of the metal ion coordination and tertiary structure of the complex. The results show how ESI-IM-MS can characterize the selective chelating performance of a set of alternative methanobactin peptides and compare them to the copper-binding peptide methanobactin.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry and molecular modeling techniques can characterize the selective metal chelating performance of designed metal-binding peptides and the copper-binding peptide methanobactin. Developing new classes of metal chelating peptides will help lead to therapeutics for diseases associated with metal ion misbalance.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, ...

3D Depth Profile Reconstruction of Segregated Impurities Using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

The presented protocol combines excellent detection limits (1 ppm to 1 ppb) using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) with reasonable spatial resolution (~1 &#181;m). Furthermore, it describes how to obtain realistic three-dimensional (3D) distributions of segregated impurities/dopants in solid state materials. Direct 3D depth profile reconstruction is often difficult to achieve due to SIMS-related measurement artifacts. Presented here is a method to identify and solve this challenge. Three major issues are discussed, including the i) nonuniformity of the detector being compensated by flat-field correction; ii) vacuum background contribution (parasitic oxygen counts from residual gases present in the analysis chamber) being estimated and subtracted; and iii)&#160;performance of all steps within a stable timespan of the primary ion source. Wet chemical etching is used to reveal the position and types of dislocation in a material, then the SIMS result is superimposed on images obtained via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thus, the position of agglomerated impurities can be related to the position of certain defects. The method is fast and does not require sophisticated sample preparation stage; however, it requires a high-quality, stable ion source, and the entire measurement must be performed quickly to avoid deterioration of the primary beam parameters.

The presented method describes how to identify and solve measurement artifacts related to secondary ion mass spectrometry as well as obtain realistic 3D distributions of impurities/dopants in solid state materials.

The presented protocol combines excellent detection limits (1 ppm to 1 ppb) using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) with reasonable spatial ...

Covalent Labeling with Diethylpyrocarbonate for Studying Protein Higher-Order Structure by Mass Spectrometry

Characterizing a protein&#39;s higher-order structure is essential for understanding its function. Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for this purpose, especially for protein systems that are difficult to study by traditional methods. To study a protein&#39;s structure by MS, specific chemical reactions are performed in solution that encode a protein&#39;s structural information into its mass. One particularly effective approach is to use reagents that covalently modify solvent accessible amino acid side chains. These reactions lead to mass increases that can be localized with residue-level resolution when combined with proteolytic digestion and tandem mass spectrometry. Here, we describe the protocols associated with use of diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) as a covalent labeling reagent together with MS detection. DEPC is a highly electrophilic molecule capable of labeling up to 30% of the residues in the average protein, thereby providing excellent structural resolution. DEPC has been successfully used together with MS to obtain structural information for small single-domain proteins, such as &#946;2-microglobulin, to large multi-domain proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies.

The experimental procedures for performing diethylpyrocarbonate-based covalent labeling with mass spectrometric detection are described. Diethylpyrocarbonate is simply mixed with the protein or protein complex of interest, leading to the modification of solvent accessible amino acid residues. The modified residues can be identified after proteolytic digestion and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis.

Characterizing a protein&#39;s higher-order structure is essential for understanding its function. Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful tool ...

Thermochemical Studies of Ni(II) and Zn(II) Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

This article describes an experimental protocol using electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (ES-IM-MS) and energy-resolved threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) to measure the thermochemistry of the dissociation of negatively-charged [amb+M(II)+NTA]- ternary complexes into two product channels: [amb+M(II)] + NTA or [NTA+M(II)]-&#160;+ amb, where M = Zn or Ni and NTA is nitrilotriacetic acid. The complexes contain one of the alternative metal binding (amb) heptapeptides with the primary structures acetyl-His1-Cys2-Gly3-Pro4-Tyr5-His6-Cys7 or acetyl-Asp1-Cys2-Gly3-Pro4-Tyr5-His6-Cys7, where the amino acids&#39; Aa1,2,6,7 positions are the potential metal-binding sites. Geometry-optimized stationary states of the ternary complexes and their products were selected from quantum chemistry calculations (presently the PM6 semi-empirical Hamiltonian) by comparing their electronic energies and their collision cross-sections (CCS) to those measured by ES-IM-MS. From the PM6 frequency calculations, the molecular parameters of the ternary complex and its products model the energy-dependent intensities of the two product channels using a competitive TCID method to determine the threshold energies of the reactions that relate to the 0 K enthalpies of dissociation (&#916;H0). Statistical mechanics thermal and entropy corrections using the PM6 rotational and vibrational frequencies provide the 298 K enthalpies of dissociation (&#916;H298). These methods describe an EI-IM-MS routine that can determine thermochemistry and equilibrium constants for a range of ternary metal ion complexes.

Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

This article describes an experimental protocol using electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry, semi-empirical quantum calculations, and energy-resolved threshold collision-induced dissociation to measure the relative thermochemistry of the dissociation of related ternary metal complexes.