COURSE OVERVIEW
Who is this course for?
Users of LC-MS and LC-MS-MS equipment, or anyone interested in learning the analytical capabilities afforded by this type of instrument.
Previous Knowledge
No previous knowledge of mass spectrometry is necessary, but an understanding of the fundamentals of liquid chromatography is beneficial.
What you will learn
- How modern API designs work and which one best fits your LC and application requirements
- How ions are produced and how to optimise LC mobile phase and interface parameters to achieve the highest sensitivity, accuracy and reproducibility
- The anatomy and working principles of quadrupoles, ion traps, time-of-flight detectors and more
- The information that can be acquired in MS, MS-MS and MSn modes, and how to optimise instrument settings for high data quality
COURSE OUTLINE
Basics of LC-MS
- What is LC-MS?
- How LC and MS work together
- Key applications in pharmaceuticals, environmental science, food safety, etc
Definitions & Principles
LC-MS Instrumentation
- Role of LC in LC-MS
- Key components (pump, injector, column, detector)
- Reversed-phase vs. normal-phase chromatography
- Ionization process & principles
- The role of vacuum and ion optics
- Mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) basics
Liquid Chromatography (LC) Overview
Mass Spectrometry (MS) Fundamentals
Ionization Techniques in LC-MS
- Electrospray Ionization (ESI) – Best for polar compounds, peptides, proteins
- Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI) – Suitable for non-polar compounds
- Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization (APPI) – For very non-polar analytes
- Quadrupole Mass Analyzer– Used in single & triple quadrupole MS
- Time-of-Flight (TOF) Mass Analyzer– High-resolution, accurate mass
- Ion Trap & Orbitrap – High sensitivity and multi-stage MS capabilities
- Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) – Fragmentation techniques for structural analysis
- Electron multiplier detectors
- Time-of-flight (TOF) detection principles
- Drug discovery & metabolite identification
- Environmental analysis & food safety
- Proteomics & biomarker research
- • Summary of Key Concepts
- • Open Discussion on Challenges Faced in LC-MS
- • Resources for Further Learning