Chinese Academy of Sciences

Purdue Research Foundation

Keyong Hou

Robert Graham Cooks

Zheng Ouyang

Haiyang Li

Lei Hua

Qinghao Wu

Huapeng Cui

This invention relates to the field of mass spectrometry, and more specifically to a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization and chemical ionization combined ion source, which consists of a vacuum ultraviolet light source and an ion source chamber. An ion acceleration electrode, an ion repulsion electrode, an ion extraction electrode, and a differential interface electrode positioned inside the ion source chamber are arranged along the exit direction of the vacuum ultraviolet light beam in sequence and spaced, coaxial, and parallel from each other. The ion acceleration electrode, the ion repulsion electrode, the ion extraction electrode, and the differential interface electrode are all plate structures with central through holes. The vacuum ultraviolet light beam passes through the central through holes of the electrodes along the axial direction. By utilizing a single vacuum ultraviolet light source, the ion source is feasible to switch between two ionization modes, vacuum ultraviolet photoionization (VUV PI) and chemical ionization (CI), under suitable ion source pressure, thus greatly expanding the range of detectable samples.

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization and chemical ionization combined ion source for mass spectrometry

The invention generally relates to improved sensitivity and flexibility for mass spectrometers with limited pumping capacity, particularly mass spectrometers that are coupled with a Discontinuous Atmospheric Pressure Interface (DAPI).

Systems and methods for sample analysis

Growing community of inventors

Dalian, China

Keyong Hou