Ion Transfer between Dual Linear Ion Traps (LITs) in a Miniature Mass Spectrometer

Tandem mass spectrometry (MSⁿ) is widely used in a variety of applications. Miniature mass spectrometers with dual linear ion traps (LITs) can achieve MSⁿ analysis similar to traditional lab-scale triple quadrupole mass spectrometers. The ion transfer between the two LITs plays an important role in the MSⁿ analysis process. In current works on dual-LIT mass spectrometry systems, ion transfer between the two LITs, especially in a mass-selective mode, has rarely been systematically studied. Here, the influence of several factors on the target ion transfer was studied, including the q value for both LITs, the pressure in the LITs, the amplitude of the auxiliary Alternating Current (AC), the duration of the auxiliary AC, etc. It was found that the optimized ion transfer condition was achieved under conditions including q1=q2=0.3, pressure at 0.37 Pa, AC amplitude of 350 mV and a transfer time longer than 10 ms. This result can be a reference for future development of hybrid mass spectrometers using dual-LIT configurations and for enhanced ion transfer efficiency between the two LITs.