Chemical analysis of organic pollutants and protein complexes by atmospheric pressure ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Research project P 13906 Pullutant and protein analysis by API-TOF-mass spectrometry Wolfgang BUCHBERGER 11.10.1999 Progress in two different problem areas, one concerning environmental analytical chemistry, the other belonging to the field of protein chemistry, depends crucially on the implementation of enhanced analytical methodology. The first problem area, trace determination of organic pollutants, is of increasing environmental concern. In particular growing attention is paid to the occurrence of pharmaceutical drug residues in the hydrosphere. For this purpose development of robust and reliable broad-banded analytical procedures for identification and quantification of trace amounts must continue. The second problem area concerns the increasing number of unknown interactions between proteins and smaller molecules as well as questions concerning the stability of protein molecular geometry. This requires faster and more sensitive experimental access to information on intermolecular interactions. Recent developments in mass spectrometry have provided a new type of mass analyzer, the time-of-flight (TOF) tube, as well as a novel interface for the analysis of liquid samples, the atmospheric pressure ionization (API) interface. Together these advances offer a superior performance with respect to mass range, resolution and sensitivity. API-TOF is also an attractive, mass-selective detector for analytical separation techniques like high- performance liquid chromatography, thereby allowing the development of methods for traces of pharmaceuticals which can enter surface waters via effluents from sewage treatment plants. Furthermore, API-TOF is an ideal technique for studying high-molecular-mass species and therefore an extremely valuable tool for new breakthroughs in the evaluation of the structure of proteins.