Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ionization Mechanisms: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as a Case of Study.

ABSTRACT: Dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI) is a versatile tool for small-molecule mass spectrometry applications, helping cover from polar to low polar molecules. However, the plasma gas-phase interactions are highly complex and have been scarcely investigated. The ionization mechanisms of plasmas have long been assumed to be somewhat similar to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). Here, we evaluated the ionization mechanisms of a two-ring DBDI ion source, using different discharge gases to analyze vaporized liquid samples. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were used as model analytes to assess the mechanisms' dominance: protonation, [M + H]⁺, or radical ion species formation, [M]^·+. In the present work, two different ionization trends were obser

SUBMITTER: Bouza M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9850405 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature