Introduction to Mass Analyzers

In its simplest form the process of mass analysis in GC-MS involves the separation or filtration of analyte ions or fragments of analyte ions created in the ion source. There are several very popular types of mass analyzer associated with routine GC-MS analysis; all of which differ in the fundamental way in which they separate species on a mass-to-charge basis. This module gives an overview of mass analyzers.

Topics include:

• Mass analyzers overview
• Quadrupole mass analyzer
• Time-of-flight mass analyzer
• Ion trap mass analyzer
• Magnetic sector mass analyzer
• Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)
• Detectors
• Mass analyzer selection
• Applications