The novel analysis of uranyl compounds by electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry

This study relates the first mass identification of mobility peaks associated with uranyl species. These uranyl species were introduced into the gas phase by electrospray ionization and detected by ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to obtain rapid chemical information from uranyl compounds. Uranyl compound analysis in nuclear forensic science is typically performed using alpha, gamma, and mass spectrometry after extensive sample preparation and purification. Although providing highly sensitive isotopic and concentration information, these methods do not provide chemical information during the initial stages of analysis. Ion mobility spectrometry, when coupled with mass spectrometry, provides chemical information, including mass-identified mobility values, for analyte identification. In this study, uranyl compounds were detected in both the positive and negative ionization modes by electrospray-ion mobility-time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-IM-TOFMS). The results showed that the sample type influenced the analyte ions that formed in the negative mode and that ESI solvent composition was the main factor that influenced analyte ion formation in the positive mode analysis. These results indicate that ESI-IM-TOFMS can be used to obtain rapid, chemical information for the initial analysis of a sample containing uranyl compounds.

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► Reduced mobility values can be obtained for uranyl compounds.
► The negative ionization mode can be used to distinguish uranyl acetate, uranyl nitrate, and uranyl chloride.
► ESI-IM-TOFMS can be used to obtain rapid, chemical information for the initial analysis of a sample containing uranyl compounds.