A new tandem mass spectrometer for photofragment spectroscopy of cold, gas-phase molecular ions

We present here the design of a new tandem mass spectrometer that combines an electrospray ion source with a cryogenically cooled ion trap for spectroscopic studies of cold, gas-phase ions. The ability to generate large ions in the gas phase without fragmentation, cool them to similar to 10 K in an ion trap, and perform photofragment spectroscopy opens up new possibilities for spectroscopic characterization of large biomolecular ions. The incorporation of an ion funnel, together with a number of small enhancements, significantly improves the sensitivity, signal stability, and ease of use compared with the previous instrument built in our laboratory. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3458014]