Table 1.
Types of mass analyzers
| Mass analyzer | Sampling | Separation | Typical resolution | Mass accuracy | Tandem mass spectrometry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quadrupole |
Continuous ion beam |
Trajectory stability |
2,000 |
100 ppm |
Triple quadrupoles: CID (precursor ion scan, product ion scan, neutral loss) |
Low energy collision |
|
Ion trap |
Continuous ion beam |
Frequency |
4,000 |
100 ppm |
CID MSn, ETD, ECD |
Low energy collision |
|
TOF |
Pulsed ion beam |
Flight time |
10 000 |
10 ppm for reflection TOF |
TOF/TOF: CID |
High energy collision |
| Q-TOF: CID |
Low energy collision |
|||||
|
Orbitrap |
Pulsed ion beam |
Frequency |
100,000 |
<5 ppm |
CID, HCD, ETD |
Low energy collision |
| FT-ICR | Pulsed ion beam | Frequency | 105-106 | <5 ppm | SORI-CID, ECD, IRMPD, EDD | Low energy collision |