Charge transfer dissociation (CTD) mass spectrometry of peptide cations using kiloelectronvolt helium cations.

A kiloelectronvolt beam of helium ions is used to ionize and fragment precursor peptide ions starting in the 1+ charge state. The electron affinity of helium cations (24.6 eV) exceeds the ionization potential of protonated peptides and can therefore be used to abstract an electron from--or charge exchange with--the isolated precursor ions. Kiloelectronvolt energies are used, (1) to overcome the Coulombic repulsion barrier between the cationic reactants, (2) to overcome ion-defocussing effects in the ion trap, and (3) to provide additional activation energy. Charge transfer dissociation (CTD) of the [M+H](+) precursor of Substance P gives product ions such as [M+H](2+•) and a dominant series of a ions in both the 1+ and 2+ charge states. These observations, along with the less-abundant a + 1 ions, are consistent with ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) results of others and indicate that C-C(α) cleavages are possible through charge exchange with helium ions. Although the efficiencies and timescale of CTD are not yet suitable for on-line chromatography, this new approach to ion activation provides an additional potential tool for the interrogation of gas phase ions.