Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Chemistry
Committee Chair
Lisa A. Holland
Committee Member
Stephen J. Valentine
Committee Member
Peng Li
Abstract
Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry is a powerful technique for high-throughput and high efficiency separations combined with structural identification. Electrospray ionization is the primary interface used to couple capillary electrophoresis to mass analyzers; however, improved designs continue to be reported. A new interfacing method based on vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization is presented in this work to overcome the challenges of decoupling applied voltages and to enhance the compatibility with separations performed at near-neutral pH. The versatility and ease of use of this ionization source is demonstrated using β-blockers, peptides, and proteins. The cationic β-blocker pindolol was injected electrokinetically and detected at concentrations ranging from 10 nM to 5 μM, with an estimated detection limit of 2 nM. The vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization functions with flow rates from 70 to 200 nL/min and did not perturb the capillary electrophoresis separation electroosmotic flow as evidenced by the observation that most migration times differed less than 7% (n = 3) across a lab-built system interfaced to mass spectrometry and a commercial system that utilizes absorbance detection. For cationic βblockers the theoretical plates achieved in the capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry setup were 80% to 95% of that observed with a commercial capillary electrophoresis-UV absorbance detection system.
Recommended Citation
Kristoff, Courtney J., "Development and implementation of a novel voltage-free interface for capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry separations of proteins" (2020). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7853.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7853
Embargo Reason
Patent Pending