Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry Principles and Applications

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a specialist technique for detecting and identifying very small quantities amounts of organic gases in air.  It is used mostly in atmospheric research, but also has applications in environmental science, pollution science, food science, and medical diagnosis. It is used as a monitoring system in various industries, e.g. measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by waste incineration plants.

Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry and Related Techniques is the first book devoted to PTR-MS and provides a comprehensive account of the technique.  Written by leading researchers and covering the basic principles, experimental techniques, and a detailed account of its various applications, this book is essential reading for researchers, technicians, postgraduate students and professionals in industry.

 

Andrew Ellis and Paul Monks are both in the Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester. They are in the process of writing the first comprehensive review of PTR-MS to be published in Chemical Reviews later this year. Ellis is lead author of Electronic and Photoelectron Spectroscopy (2005) published by Cambridge University Press.

Ch.1 Background.

1.1 Volatile organic compounds (VOCS) in air.

1.2 Chromatographic techniques for detecting and quantifying VOCs.

1.3 Ion mobility spectrometry.

1.4 Flowing afterglow/ion swarm techniques.

1.5 Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry.

1.6 Emergence of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry.

.

.

Ch.2 Chemical ionization.

2.1 Proton transfer.

2.1.1 Reagents and mechanisms.

2.1.2 Thermodynamics of proton transfer.

2.1.3 Kinetics of proton transfer.

2.2 Other chemical ionization processes.

.

Ch.3 Experimental techniques.

3.1 Ion sources.

3.1.1 Hollow cathode discharges.

3.1.2 Other electrical discharge sources.

3.1.3 Radioactive ion sources.

3.2 Flow tubes and drift tubes.

3.2.1 Flow tubes.

3.2.2 Drift tubes.

3.2.3 Flow and drift tube construction.

3.3 Collimating and focusing ion beams: an introduction to ion optics.

3.4 Mass spectrometry.

3.4.1 Quadrupole mass spectrometry.

3.4.2. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

3.4.3 Ion trap mass spectrometry.

3.5 Ion detection and ion counting.

.

Ch.4 Sensitivity and calibration.

4.1 Definition of sensitivity.

4.2 Determining absolute concentrations.

4.3 Calibration procedures.

4.3.1 Gas standards.

4.3.2 Dynamic dilution.

4.3.3 Permeation tubes.

.

Ch.5 Illustrative applications.

5.1 Monitoring of VOCs in the environment.

5.2 VOCs from flora.

5.3 Food science.

5.4 Application in medical diagnostics