TriWave
The highest selectivity, specificity, and experimental versatility
Conventional mass spectrometers separate on the basis of m/z. The TriWave Ion Mobility device enables you to also separate ions on the basis of their collisional cross section which encompasses their size, shape, and charge, dramatically enhancing sample definition.
Overview
- Differentiate components that cannot be separated by UPLC or mass alone e.g. isomers, conformers
- See more analytes in the absence of interferences, and more confidently identify them
- Rapidly derive information on conformation to complement X-ray, NMR or EM techniques
- Conduct more comprehensive structural characterization by combining IMS with single or multiple stages of fragmentation
TriWave design
TriWave technology, which enables ion mobility separations in the SYNAPT family of MS systems, is comprised of three travelling wave devices which are used to manipulate (trap, accumulate, release, separate, and fragment) ions in a very precise, rapid, and efficient manner.
The separation of molecules by ion mobility significantly extends the power of high resolution MS/MS analysis, increasing the extent and confidence with which a scientist can profile complex mixtures and complex molecules.
IMS for improved separations and peak capacity
IMS confirmation and structural characterization
T-Wave IMS provides a unique method to enhance the characterization of molecular structure through the determination of collision cross section values (CCS). The conformational measurements generated for peptides and small molecules have been shown to complement traditional structural analysis techniques.
TriWave provides a range of options to increase information from fragmentation experiments by combining IMS with CID (one or two stages) or ETD. This provides more comprehensive characterization of modified peptides, lipids, small molecules, carbohydrates, and polymers.
Principles of T-Wave IMS separation
T-Wave IMS utilizes non-uniform, moving electric fields / voltage pulses to push ions through a neutral buffer gas. As ions are driven, they interact/collide with the neutral buffer gas which slows them down, causing ions of different size, shape, charge, and mass to transit at different rates.
Species with high mobility (more compact) surf more on the wave front and are overtaken by the wave less often than those species of low mobility (more extended), hence mobility-based separation occurs.
T-Wave IMS in practice
Ions arriving in the TriWave device are accumulated in the TRAP T-Wave and then released into the IMS T-Wave where mobility dependent separation occurs. The IM separated packets of ions are transferred to the orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight (oa-Tof) analyzer by the TRANSFER T-Wave.
The process is continually repeated in the tens of milliseconds time-frame with very high duty cycle, which means that benefits of IMS can be realized together with UPLC separations and Tof mass analysis without compromising the sensitivity or speed of analysis.
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