Hybrid ion mobility and mass spectrometry as a separation tool

• We describe hybrid ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry techniques.
• We describe dispersive and selective ion mobility separations.
• We examine separation capacity, sensitivity, and structural considerations.
• Current research is focusing on sensitivity and resolution.
• Our understanding of structure will advance if resolution can increase significantly.

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) has seen spectacular growth over the last two decades. Increasing IMS sensitivity and capacity with improvements in MS instrumentation have driven this growth. As a result, a diverse new set of techniques for separating ions by their mobility have arisen, each with characteristics that make them favorable for some experiments and some mass spectrometers. Ion mobility techniques can be broken down into dispersive and selective techniques based upon whether they pass through all mobilities for later analysis by mass spectrometry or select ions by mobility or a related characteristic. How ion mobility techniques fit within a more complicated separation including mass spectrometry and other techniques such as liquid chromatography is of fundamental interest to separations scientists. In this review we explore the multitude of ion mobility techniques hybridized to different mass spectrometers, detailing current challenges and opportunities for each ion mobility technique and for what experiments one technique might be chosen over another. The underlying principles of ion mobility separations, including: considerations regarding separation capabilities, ion transmission, signal intensity and sensitivity, and the impact that the separation has upon the ion structure (i.e., the possibility of configurational changes due to ion heating) are discussed.