Advantages of Two-Dimensional Electron-Induced Dissociation and Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Agrochemicals

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Analysis of agrochemicals in an environmental matrix is challenging, due to these samples containing multiple agrochemicals, their metabolites, degradation products, and endogenous compounds. The analysis of such complex samples is achieved using chromatographic separation techniques coupled to mass spectrometry. Herein, we demonstrate a two-dimensional mass spectrometry (2DMS) technique on a 12 T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) that can analyze a mixture of agrochemicals without using chromatography or quadrupole isolation in a single experiment. The resulting 2DMS contour plot contains abundant tandem MS information for each component in the sample and correlates product ions to their corresponding precursor ions. Two different fragmentation methods are employed, infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) and electron-induced dissociation (EID), with 2DMS to analyze the mixture of singly charged agrochemicals. The product ions of one of the agrochemicals, pirimiphos-methyl, present in the sample was used to internally calibrate the entire 2DMS spectrum, achieving sub-part per millions (ppm) to part per billion (ppb) mass accuracies for all species analyzed. The work described in this paper will show the advantages of the 2DMS approach, by grouping species with common fragments/core structure and mutual functional groups, using precursor lines and neutral loss lines. In addition, the rich spectral information obtained from IRMPD and EID 2DMS contour plots can accurately identify and characterize agrochemicals.
Funding Information
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (J000302/1, L015307/1, N021630/1, N033191/1)
  • European Commission (731077)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (R022399/1)

This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit: