The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry

Dear friends and fans of mass spectrometry,

The history of a method for studying of matter known as mass spectrometry dates back more than a century. The foundations have mostly been laid by physics studying discharges in gases. After about five decades mass spectrometry entered the domain of chemistry and evolved into an excellent tool for studying the structure of chemical compounds. Recently we are witnessing its expansion into the field of cellular, molecular, and structural biology. The technology of mass spectrometry developed immensely over the time. Let us take a tour into the history and learn about the past technologies. Let us explore the state-of-art mass spectrometry.

A technical museum focused on unique and significant part of science, the Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry will display and explain laboratory instrumentation that encompasses physics, chemistry, engineering and informatics and combines them into a device that contributes to many parts of our daily life.

Czech and English speaking visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the principles and applications of mass spectrometry, its history, and important scientists including Nobel price winners, while experiencing a remarkable collection of mass spectrometers. Founded by mass spectrometry enthusiasts Jaroslav Pol (Thermo Scientific) and Josef Cvacka (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry) and sponsored by Frantisek Turecek (University of Washington, Seattle), the Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry is now being assembled and will open in Prague in 2017. Donations of mass spectrometry artifacts are gratefully appreciated; those willing to contribute please contact the curators.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry

Study of matter through the formation of gas-phase ions that are characterized using mass spectrometers by their mass, charge, structure, and/or physico-chemical properties.

Mass Analyzers

Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance

Mass spectrometer based on the principle of ion cyclotron resonance in which an ion in a magnetic field moves in a circular orbit at the cyclotron frequency that is characteristic of its m/z value. Ions are coherently excited to a larger radius orbit using a pulse of radio frequency electric field, and their image charge is detected on receiver plates as a time domain signal. Fourier transformation of the time domain signal results in a frequency domain signal that is converted to a mass spectrum based on the inverse relationship between cyclotron frequency and m/z.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Ion Trap

Device for spatially confining ions using electric and magnetic fields alone or in combination.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Linear Ion Trap

Two-dimensional Paul ion trap in which ions are confined in the axial dimension by means of a static electric potential.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Orbitrap

Ion trapping device that consists of an outer barrel-like electrode and a coaxial inner spindle-like elec- trode that form an electrostatic

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Sector

Device that produces a magnetic field perpendicular to a charged particle beam that deflects the beam to an extent that is proportional to the ratio of particle momentum and charge.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Time of Flight

Mass spectrometer that separates ions by m/z in a field-free region after acceleration through a fixed accelerating potential. Ions of the same initial translational energy and different m/z require different times to traverse a given distance in the field-free region.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Triple Quadrupole

Tandem mass spectrometer comprising two transmission quadrupole mass spectrometers in series, with a (non-selecting) RF-only quadrupole (or other multipole) between them to act as a collision cell.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Ion Sources

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) is chemical ionization of a sample that is a gas or nebulized liquid, using an atmospheric pressure corona discharge or beta emitter such as 63Ni.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Atmospheric pressure photoionization

Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) is direct ionization of molecules at atmospheric pressure by electron detachment induced by photons forming M+•, or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in which the reactant ions are generated by photoionization of suitable dopant species and subsequent ion/molecule reactions of their molecular ions.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Desorption electrospray ionization

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is formation of gas-phase ions from a solid or liquid sample at atmospheric pressure through the inter- action of electrosprayed droplets with the sample surface.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Electrospray ionization

Electrospray ionization (ESI) is spray ionization process in which either cations or anions in solution are transferred to the gas phase via formation and desolvation at atmospheric pressure of a stream of highly charged droplets that result from applying a potential difference between the tip of the electrospray needle containing the solution and a counter electrode.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Fast atom bombardment ionization

Fast atom bombardment ionization (FAB) is ionization of molecules initiated by a beam of neutral atoms with translational energies in the keV range. Labile molecules susceptible to dissociation are dissolved in an involatile liquid matrix that absorbs the energy of the bombarding atoms to form a selvedge region above the liquid surface in which ionization of the molecules occurs.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is formation of gas-phase ions from molecules present in a solid or liquid matrix that is irradiated with a laser. The matrix is a material that absorbs the laser energy and promotes ionization.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm

Secondary ion mass spectrometry

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is technique in which a focused beam of primary ions produces secondary ions by sputtering from a solid surface. The secondary ions are analyzed by mass spectrometry.

The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm