HPLC-MS – Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry
The liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry coupling is used for the separation, identification and quantification of compounds or mixtures of substances.
In the procedure, the substance to be analyzed is dissolved and subsequently transported through a separation column. The intensity of the interaction between the contained components and the stationary phase is varying, which results in a separation and different retention times.
The following ionization of the individual substances (by means of ESI electrospray ionization or APCI- Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization) leads to a protonation (or Na cluster formation) and a partial fragmentation of the separated substances. The final detection is performed after separation of the charged ions (into their mass-to-charge ratio) by electric or magnetic fields.
The setup can be adapted depending on the substance and task. A connection of ELS, UV or conductivity detectors are possible.