Determination of carbon isotope ratios in amino acids, proteins, and oligosaccharides by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Carbon isotope ratios ((12)C/(13)C) are measured for aqueous solutions of tryptophan, myoglobin, and beta-cyclodextrin using C(+) ions from an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and a prototype twin quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). (13)C/(12)C ratios can be determined with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of approximately 1%. This precision is close to the limiting value predicted by counting statistics (1.16%). Spectral interference on (13)C(+), presumably from (12)C(1)H(+), comes from the incomplete dissociation of myoglobin and/or beta-cyclodextrin, but not tryptophan. Decreasing the aerosol gas flow rate slightly from that which yields maximum signal eliminates this (12)C(1)H(+) interference. The count rate of the minor isotope ((13)C(+)) can be artificially enhanced by increasing the voltage of the (13)C(+) detector, and/or by shifting the ion beam splitter offset from the central axis. Instrumental modifications to the MS that improve the sensitivity are also described.