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ESI-MS - Electrospray Ionisation Mass Spectrometry
Electroscopy Ionisation (ESI) is a ‘soft’ ionisation technique used in mass spectrometry to generate ions using electrometry, by applying a high voltage to a liquid to create an aerosol.
This technique is particularly useful in ionising large biological molecules, such as proteins for analysis without fragmenting them.
Required Material:
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Sample
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Solvent
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Mass spectrometer
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Electrospray ionisation source
Sample preparation:
Purified samples work best, which are then injected into the electrospray ionization mass spectrometer through a capillary needle.
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First dissolve the sample in an organic solvent to a 1mg/ml concentration.
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From the solution take 10µl and mix with 1ml of methanol, acetonitrile, or water.
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Filter the solution to ensure there is no precipitation, as it can cause blockage.
Protocol:
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Set up the ESI source according to the manufacturer’s instructions or your requirements.
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Load the sample via a capillary needle, the solution then becomes infused into the ESI source.
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The sample is ionised, causing the molecules to be ejected from the solution in the form of charged droplets.
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Charged droplets are desolvated leaving behind charged analyte ions.
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The analyte ions are analysed by the mass spectrometer, which separates the ions based on the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z).
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The results can be interpreted using different software programs that are programmed to identify sample components, quantification, and statistical analysis.