Corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry with orthogonal acceleration time of flight mass spectrometry for monitoring of volatile organic compounds.

We demonstrate the application of corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry with orthogonal acceleration time of flight mass spectrometry (CD IMS-oaTOF) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) monitoring. Two-dimensional (2D) IMS-oaTOF spectra of VOCs were recorded in nearly real time. The corona discharge atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source was operated in positive mode in nitrogen and air. The CD ion source generates in air H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n) and NO(+). The NO(+) offers additional possibility for selective ionization and for an increase of the sensitivity of monoaromatic compounds. In addition to H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n) and NO(+), we have carried out ionization of VOCs using acetone as dopant gas ((CH(3))(2)COH(+)). Sixteen model VOCs (tetrahydrofuran, butanol, n-propanol, iso-propano, acetone, methanol, ethanol, toluene, benzene, amomnia, dioxan, triethylamine, acetonitrile, formaldehyde, m-xylene, 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine) were tested using these ionization techniques.