Advanced Ion-Mobility Spectrometry Technology
... a Winner in PUB Global Innovation Challenge
Winner in PUB Global Innovation Challenge
GDS Instruments has been a proud nominated winner in PUB Global Innovation Challenge, to develop a real-time monitoring system to identify and quantify the presence of specific prohibited organic compounds in wastewater for timely intervention.
PUB is Singapore’s National Water Agency, and they are in constant pursuit of great ideas to transform into a Smart Utility of the Future. Its PUB Global Innovation Challenge program seeks to accelerate its discovery and adoption of smart solutions and new technologies to improve operational excellence and meet future water needs.
Amidst over 150 companies, researchers, and innovators from all around the world to propose solutions to the challenges, GDS Instruments has overcome all odds, to come up the WINNER for the PUB Global Innovation Challenge in its category. PUB has given us unparalleled test-bedding opportunities. We are excited to partner PUB, to co-create innovative water solutions, and has benefitted from their support for the development, deployment and adoption of our latest invention in our IMS solutions.
What is traditional Ion Mobility Spectrometry?
The ion mobility spectrometry (IM-S) is a powerful analytical technique based on ion molecular interactions in homogenous electric field. The main advantages of this technique are: compact design, high sensitivity (ppm-ppb level)*, fast response (ms range), operation in atmospheric pressure and ability to separate isomeric compounds. Traditionally, the Ion-mobility Spectrometry instrument consists of three major parts: ionization region, reaction region and drift tube. The schematic view of ion mobility spectrometer is shown below:
* if ppt required; can be customized. Please contact manufacturer, and provide the detials.
Description of our Advanced Ion-Mobility Spectrometer
In our Advanced Ion Mobility Spectrometer , model AIMS-scan 300, it offers extremely high resolution and sensitivity, and selectivity.
It provides up to 90 FWHM in resoution, which is sufficient for separation of isomeric compounds. The big advantage of the device is its ability to work with atmospheric air as a buffer gas. This advantage reduces the operating costs to zero.
The high sensitivity of IM-S technique is mainly because of its improved corona discharge (CD) ionization source. Among the other advantages like non-radioactivity and higher ion yield generation, the CD also offers high selective reactant ions generations. The CD implemented in the device is able to generate O2- or NO3- reactant ions in negative polarity1,2 and H3O+ or NO+ in positive polarity3. The selective reactant ions generation increases the sensitivity and selectivity of instrument.
AIMS-scan 300 is the only commercially available instrument, which allows the selective reactant ions generation.
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Another biggest advantage of AIMS-scan 300, is that it consists of a special capillary sample inlet. The capillary sample inlet, specially designed, allows the use of the device not just for VOC detection. This inlet technique also enables to use the AIMS for analysis of surfaces and liquids. The surface analysis can be provided by laser diode module. This sampling technique is based on desorption of semi-volatiles or non-volatiles compounds from the surface.
The desorbed compounds are subsequently analyzed by the IM-S instrument. The Surface Sampling Method is a suitable combination of high resolution, high sensitivity Thin Layer Chromatography.
The interface of Liquid sampling module (LSM) allows simple analysis of liquids. This technique is based on the thermal spray of the liquid and the mixture of vapors, when droplets are directly injected to the reaction region of the IM-S, where the chemical ionization of the sample occure. The technique was successfully tested for detection of explosives in different solvents, as well as for the analysis of amino acids and dipeptides.
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The AIMS-scan 300 is also able to operate in atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressure. It is possible to control all parameters like the shutter grid pulse width and period, drift field intensity, aperture grid electric potential, temperature and many others. All parameters of the device can be setup by the user. The instrument can be used for industry applications as well as for laboratory research.
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Ionization Region - Ionization source
In ionization region of IM-S the formation of reactant ions (RI) occurs. The formation of RI in ion mobility spectrometry is closely related to the type of ionization source used in the instrument. The traditional and most common ionization sources for IM-S are radioactive sources, especially Ni63. This ionization source is stable, has a long lifetime and does not require an additional power supply. The main drawback of this source is its radioactivity and the restrictions related to it.
The RI ions generated from such type of ionization sources are O2-.(H2O)n in negative polarity and H+.(H2O)n in positive polarity.
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In addition to radioactive ionization sources, there exist many others that have been successfully implemented for IM-S such as corona discharge, glow discharges, low-temperature plasma ionization, atmospheric-pressure photoionization, pulsed electron sources, electro-spray ionization and secondary electro-spray ionization.
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The ionization source used in ion mobility spectrometry instruments developed by the factory, is the corona discharge (CD). Compared to radioactive ionization sources, our CD can offer up to 1 order higher signal yield. The higher signal generation is closely related to higher sensitivity and better signal to noise ratio.
Another great advance of corona discharge in comparison with all the other ionization sources is its ability to selectively generate RI. In positive polarity, corona discharge is able to generate H+.(H2O)n or NO+.(H2O)n reactant ions while in negative polarity generating CD O2-.(H2O)n or NO3- reactant ions. Due to different chemical ionization mechanisms of different reactant ions we are able to change the selectivity and the detection efficiency of the IM-S instrument.
Adding Dopants to modify Reactant Ions to increase Selectivity
The Reactant Ions (RIs) in IM-S instruments can be also easily modified by so-called dopants. The dopants are very useful in applications where focused selectivity is required.
As a result of correct selection of dopant gasses it is possible to control mechanism of product ions formation. Dopants are used in IM-S in order to increase sensitivity and selectivity of the instrument for target compounds.
Reaction region
In the reaction region of IM-S, the interaction between reactant ions and sample molecules occurs and new ion products are formed. There exist many effective pathways for the formation of these ions, where the most common are:
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Proton transfer reaction: H+.(H2O)n + M → M.H+ + (H2O)n
Association reaction: NO+ + M → NO+.M
Charge exchange reaction: O2- + M → M- + O2
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The importance of RI and their role in the reaction region of IM-S is demonstrated in figure 3.
The figure 3a demonstrates the response of BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene) with H+.(H2O)n reactants ion. The ion mobility spectrometry response to this RI results in pure sensitivity (ppm level) and selectivity where the H+.(H2O)n and Toluene+ ions are hard to be recognized.
The figure 3b. shows the response of BTX to NO+ reactant ions. The NO+ ions results in three order higher sensitivity of IM-S instrument and significantly better selectivity.
Drift Tube region
The drift tube of ion mobility spectrometer is the place where the ionic species are separated. After injecting ions to the drift tube these ions are guided by homogenous electric field to the end of the drift tube. The homogenous electric field is formed by metal rings connected by resistors of the same nominal value.
Figure 4a shows skeleton of IM-S instrument constructed of stainless steel rings isolated by PTFE. After reaching the faraday plate collector at the end of the drift tube, the signal is amplified by current/voltage amplifier. The amplified signal is subsequently plotted as a function of arrival time measured from shutter grid injection.
As ion mobility spectrometers do not work in vacuum, the ion movement is not straightforward. There occur huge numbers of ions-molecules interactions between charged ions and neutral particles of a drift gas. In this case the ion movement is not represented by time of flight but by the drift time.
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The drift of the ions in homogenous electric field is represented by the mobility k. The mobility is expressed as the ratio of ion’s drift velocity v and electric field intensity E:
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k = v/E = (LD/tD)/(V/LD) = LD2/(tD.V)
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where LD is length of the drift tube, tD is measured drift time and V is electric potential at the start of the drift tube.
As the IM-S instruments usually work in different conditions such as temperature and pressure, there is used correction known as a reduced mobility k0:
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k0 = k. (T0/T).(p/p0)
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where T is temperature in IM-S drift tube, T0 = 273 K, p is pressure in the IM-S drift tube and p0 = 1013 mbar
The reduced mobility is a characteristic value for each kind of ions in the given drift gas.
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