Claims
- 1. A method for ionizing a molecule comprising the steps of:a) preparing a fluid medium for containing the molecule during said ionization at a temperature above absolute zero but below a temperature at which said molecule would fragment, as a result of said ionization or as a result of collision between molecules and wherein said fluid medium is of sufficient volume to function as a heat bath to maintain a temperature below said fragmentation temperature; b) introducing the molecule and an ionization ion into said fluid medium whereby said molecule is ionized therein and wherein a temperature below said fragmentation temperature is maintained; c) removing the fluid medium without fragmentation of the ionized molecule.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid medium is liquid helium at a temperature below 1° K.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said ionization ion is a proton.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said liquid medium comprises a droplet initially containing at least 10,000 helium atoms.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said ionized molecule is subsequently used in mass spectroscopy analysis.
- 6. The method of claim 4, comprising the steps of:(a) forming a helium cluster containing at least 10,000 helium atoms and reducing the temperature thereof to 0.4° K; (b) introducing a proton into said cluster; (c) reducing the ambient pressure at which said molecule is maintained from atmospheric pressure to less than 10−3 torr; (d) introducing the molecule into the protonated helium cluster whereby the molecule is protonated; (e) removing the helium from the droplet to provide a residual non-fragmented protonated molecule; and (f introducing the non-fragmented molecule into a mass spectrometer and detector for analysis.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said analysis comprises accurate mass measurement.
- 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said analysis comprises controlled fragmentation and detection.
- 9. A device for protonating a molecule without the fragmentation thereof in accordance with claim 6, comprising:(a) means for forming a helium cluster of at least 10,000 helium atoms and means for the cooling thereof to 0.4° K; (b) means for forming protons and means for the introduction of a proton to said helium cluster; (c) means for reducing the ambient pressure at which said molecule is maintained from atmospheric pressure to 10−3 torr; d) means for introducing the molecule into the protonated helium cluster whereby the molecule is protonated; (e) means for removing the helium from the droplet to provide a residual non-fragmented protonated molecule; and (f) means for introducing the non-fragmented molecule into a mass spectrometer and detector for analysis.
- 10. The device of claim 9, wherein said analysis comprises accurate mass measurement.
- 11. The device of claim 9, wherein said analysis comprises controlled fragmentation and detection.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Non Provisional of Provisional Application No. 60/239,512 filed Oct. 11, 2000.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5397901 |
Lo |
Mar 1995 |
A |
6188066 |
Whitehouse et al. |
Feb 2001 |
B1 |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/239512 |
Oct 2000 |
US |