本文报道了一种创新技术，该技术通过诱导手性气相离子的定向旋转来破坏手性对称性，并实现对映体的区分。研究人员采用双交流激励方法来精确控制捕获离子的运动，包括围绕质量中心的旋转和围绕势阱中心的宏观运动。通过高分辨率离子云剖面测量，分辨率高达10000以上，可以精确测量碰撞截面的差异。
此外，研究人员结合了微型离子阱质谱仪和高场离子迁移率与串联质谱分析，成功实现了对映体的分析。该方法的有效性在多种有机化合物，如氨基酸、糖和药物分子中得到了验证。
据悉，传统的质谱法不能区分对映异构体或镜像异构体。
附：英文原文
Title: Differentiating enantiomers by directional rotation of ions in a mass spectrometer
Author: Xiaoyu Zhou, Zhuofan Wang, Shuai Li, Xianle Rong, Jiexun Bu, Qiang Liu, Zheng Ouyang
Issue&Volume: 2024-02-09
Abstract: Conventional mass spectrometry does not distinguish between enantiomers, or mirror-image isomers. Here we report a technique to break the chiral symmetry and to differentiate enantiomers by inducing directional rotation of chiral gas-phase ions. Dual alternating current excitations were applied to manipulate the motions of trapped ions, including the rotation around the center of mass and macro movement around the center of the trap. Differences in collision cross section were induced, which could be measured by ion cloud profiling at high resolutions above 10,000. High-field ion mobility and tandem mass spectroetry analyses of the enantiomers were combined and implemented by using a miniature ion trap mass spectrometer. The effectiveness of the developed method was demonstrated with a variety of organic compounds including amino acids, sugars, and several drug molecules, as well as a proof-of-principle ligand optimization study for asymmetric hydrogenation.
DOI:10.1126/science.adj8342
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj8342