微型离子漏斗减少低质量歧视效应的理论模拟研究

Reduction of Low Mass Discrimination Effect in a Miniaturized Ion Funnel by Simulation

  • 摘要: 为减少微型离子漏斗的低质量歧视问题,本文提出了一种梯度下降射频(radio frequency, RF)信号施加方法,通过在漏斗出口端的多片电极上施加幅值递减的RF信号,提高低质荷比离子的传输效率。采用电场模拟软件SIMION和离子运动轨迹仿真软件AXSIM模拟分析微型离子漏斗在施加梯度下降RF信号时的离子传输性能。结果表明:相较于传统的RF施加方式,梯度下降RF施加方法能有效减少低质量歧视问题,且不影响高质量段的离子传输效率。另外,详细研究了在梯度下降RF施加方式下,RF的频率和直流场梯度等参数对离子传输效率的影响。进一步对梯度下降RF施加方法简化后,离子传输效率略有下降,但仍优于传统的RF施加方式,且降低了操作难度,提升了方案实施的可行性。

     

    Abstract: In order to reduce the low mass discrimination effect of the miniaturized ion funnel, a method of gradient descent radio frequency (RF) signal application was proposed. The RF signals with decreasing amplitude were applied on the outlet electrodes of the ion funnel, which would improve the transmission efficiency of low mass-to-charge ratio ions. The ion transmission performance of the miniature ion funnel with the gradient descent RF signal applying was studied by simulation software SIMION and ion trajectory simulation software AXSIM. When the gradient descent RF voltage was applied, the potential line around the outlet electrodes of miniaturized ion funnel was sparse, and the effective potential was shallower, then it could significantly reduce the axial effective potential of the terminal electrode. The simulation results showed that the gradient descent RF application method could effectively reduce the low mass discrimination, while the transmission efficiency of high mass ions was not affected. As revealed by the simulation, when the initial RF voltage amplitude V1 was 120 V and 80 V, respectively, the corresponding optimal descent gradient σ was 6 V and 3 V, and the ion transmission efficiency could achieve 60% and 62% for the ions at m/z 20, while it still maintained nearly 100% efficiency in high mass range (m/z≥200). Not only that, at lower mass segments (m/z≤20), a lower mass-to-charge ratio cutoff was obtained in the gradient descent RF signal application mode, which demonstrated that this new RF signal application method could significantly extend the low mass range. The influence of RF frequency and direct current (DC) field gradient parameter with the gradient descent RF application method on the ion transmission efficiency was studied in detail, indicating that a RF frequency of 1 MHz and a DC field gradient parameter of 10 V/cm were the optimal value of obtaining a high ion transmission efficiency. Further, the gradient descent RF signal application method was simplified. The ion transfer efficiency achieved by the simplified method decreased slightly, but it was still better than that achieved by the traditional RF application method. An ion transmission efficiency (at m/z 20) of 56.6% was achieved in the simplified gradient descent RF signal application mode, which was decreased by 5.7% compared with that before simplification and improved by 57.2% compared to conventional RF application mode. The simulation result illustrated that the simplified gradient descent RF application mode can reduce low mass discrimination effect to adequate extent. The simplification method can reduce the difficulty of operation and improve the feasibility of the scheme implementation.

     

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