Miniature mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray and desorption electrospray ionization for direct analysis of organics from solids and solutions

We report on the use of a small light-weight mass spectrometer (MS) for chemical analysis of organic material directly from solution or from the solid state with potential value in future planetary missions. The mass spectrometer used in the experiments reported here is handheld and controlled from a laptop computer through custom software. Detection and identification of small organic molecules, including some that might be prebiotics, was achieved using methods relevant to in situ and remote sensing applications. The miniature MS was equipped with a discontinuous atmospheric pressure interface (DAPI) and a home-built electrosonic spray ionization (ESSI) source. Aqueous solutions of molecules of interest were examined using the ESSI technique, while desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) was applied to examine solid samples. The system performance was characterized by direct analysis of analytes belonging to several compound classes including biotic and abiotic amino acids, purines, pyrimidines, nucleosides and peptides. Detection limits in the sub-ppm range for solutions were achieved with the atmospheric pressure sampling/ionization interface. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS²) was successfully applied to confirm trace detection of target compounds in mixtures. Multiple stage (MSⁿ) analysis, where n = 3-5, was employed for molecular structure confirmation and to demonstrate the high chemical specificity as well as the sensitivity of the instrumentation. The use of improved versions of this type of mass spectrometer on exploration missions could provide detailed chemical information on organic materials in physical states currently difficult to access. The high sensitivity and specificity, combined with rapid detection and the absence of requirements for sample preparation are encouraging features of the instrumentation.