PNNL

Abstract

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has seen increased application for high spatial chemical imaging of complex biological surfaces. The advent and commercial availability of cluster and polyatomic primary ion sources (e.g. Au and Bi cluster and buckminsterfullerene (C60)) provide improved secondary ion yield and decreased fragmentation of surface species, thus accessibility to intact molecular ions. Despite developments in primary ion sources, development of mass spectrometers to fully exploit their advantages has been limited. Tandem mass spectrometry for identification of secondary ions is highly desirable, but implementation has proven to be difficult. Similarly, high mass resolution and high mass measurement accuracy would greatly improve the chemical specificity of SIMS. Here we combine, for the first time, the advantages of a C60 primary ion source with the ultra-high mass resolving power and high mass measurement accuracy of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Mass resolving power in excess of 100,000 (m/?m50%) is demonstrated, with mass measurement accuracies below 3 parts-per-million. Imaging of mouse brain tissue at 40 µm pixel size is shown. Tandem mass spectrometry of ions from biological tissue is demonstrated and molecular formulae can be assigned to fragment ions.