PNNL

Abstract

Structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM) provide a new paradigm for efficient, complex and extended gas phase ion manipulations. SLIM are created from electric fields generated by the application of DC and RF potentials to arrays of electrodes patterned on two parallel surfaces. The electric fields provide lossless ion manipulations, including effective ion transport and storage. SLIM modules have been developed using both constant and oscillatory electric fields (e.g. traveling waves) to effect ion motion. Ion manipulations demonstrated to date with SLIM include: extended trapping, ion selection, ion dissociation, and ion mobility separations achieving unprecedented ultrahigh resolution. SLIM thus provide the basis for previously impractical manipulations, such as very long pathlength ion mobility separations where ions traverse a serpentine path multiple times, as well as new capabilities that extend the utility of these developments based upon temporal and spatial compression of ion mobility separations. The evolution of a variety of SLIM devices developed over the last three years is reviewed and we provide examples of various ion manipulations performed, and briefly discuss potential applications and new directions.