ArticleRapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM2023
Direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry: Observations of helium, nitrogen and argon as ionisation gas for the detection of small molecules using a single quadrupole instrument.
Article in Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Detection and characterization of explosives and explosives residues: a review 2022-2025.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2026Review
- Selectivity of Explosives Analysis with Ambient Ionization Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry: Implications for Trace Detection.Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry · 2024Article
- Direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry: Observations of helium, nitrogen and argon as ionisation gas for the detection of small molecules using a single quadrupole instrument.Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
rationaleDirect analysis in real time is typically performed using helium as the ionisation gas for the detection of analytes by mass spectrometry (MS). Nitrogen and argon are found with abundance in the air and provide a cheaper and greener alternative to the use of helium as ionisation gas. This study explores the use of helium, nitrogen and argon as ionisation gas for the detection of organic compounds.
methodsFour illicit drugs, two amino acids and five explosives were chosen as target analytes to understand selectivity, sensitivity and linearity when helium, nitrogen or argon was used as the ionisation gas with the direct analysis in real time (DART) source. Analysis was carried out on a Waters Acquity QDa single quadrupole mass spectrometer.
resultsCalibration curves over the range of 5-100 ng were produced for each analyte using the different ionisation gases to assess the instrument response. Nitrogen gave a higher response to concentration than helium or argon; however, the lowest limits of detection were observed when helium was used.
conclusionsAll the target analytes were detected using DART-MS with helium, nitrogen or argon as the ionisation gas. Whereas helium provided the highest sensitivity, nitrogen produced reasonable limits of detection and had good linearity across the concentration range explored, suggesting it provides a greener and cheaper alternative to helium.
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Registered trials
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