Surface-induced dissociation in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer: instrument design and evaluation.

A new Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR MS) has been constructed in our laboratory. The instrument employs surface-induced dissociation (SID) as an activation method for obtaining structural information on biomolecules in the gas phase. Tandem SID mass spectra can be acquired using either a continuous or a pulsed mode of operation. Collision energy of precursor ion is controlled by a dc offset of the ICR cell. This approach eliminates defocusing of the ion beam by the ion-transfer optics as a function of ion kinetic energy and constitutes a significant improvement over our previous experimental setup. Furthermore, it can be easily implemented on any FTICR mass spectrometer. Very high signal-to-noise ratios of 200-500 were obtained in single-scan SID mass spectra of model peptides with acquisition time less than 1.1 s. Reasonable SID signal was detected in single-scan spectra with total acquisition time of only 0.3 s. The high signal-to-noise ratio and the fast acquisition time point on a potential application of SID for high-throughput studies in FTICR MS.