Table · dataset · 2026
Miniature Mass Spectrometry for On-Site Analysis Using Self-Suction Sampling and α‑Particle Ionization
Listed in figshare
The ion source is a key component of mass spectrometers, where electricity, lasers, and heat are typically used for converting molecules into ions; however, this poses a challenge due to the high-energy consumption, especially for portable miniMS systems in field environments.
Description
In this study, we report a field-deployable approach utilizing a miniature mass spectrometry (MS) system coupled with α-particle ionization and self-suction sampling.
Without any external energy input, high-energy α-particles stably generated from radioactive sources (e.g., Am-241 and Th-232) directly ionize various ambient aerosol samples, which are introduced into the system via a self-suction effect under a slight differential pressure (∼0.3 kPa). A range of ion species, including radical cations, anions, and protonated ions, were observed. The underlying ionization mechanism is proposed to involve a complex cascade of processes, namely, α-particle impact, dissociative electron attachment, and subsequent chemical ionization.
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The practical utility of this miniMS system was unambiguously validated through the on-site detection of diverse real-world samples. For direct analyte measurement, acceptable relative standard deviations (RSDs) of <20% (<i>n</i> = 6), good quantitative linearity over more than 2 orders of magnitude, and low limits of detection at the ng/mL level were achieved. Overall, our experimental data demonstrated that the α-particle source not only serves as a compact, high-energy, and stable ionization platform for miniature MS in field environments but also offers a valuable tool for investigating fundamental gas-phase ion chemistry.
Links
Where it is published
- DOI doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6c04777.s003 ↗
DOI / persistent id · from figshare com
Catalogue records · 1
- OAI-PMH record api.figshare.com/v2/oai?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&identifier=oai%3Af… ↗
metadata API · from figshare com
Topics
- From keywords
- Astronomy & Astrophysics · Chemistry · Computer Science & AI · Earth & Environmental Science · Ecology · Economics & Finance · Energy · Engineering · Humanities · Inorganic chemistry · Life Sciences · Medicine & Health · Ocean & Atmospheric Science · Physics · Social Science
- Inferred from text
- Mass spectrometry 75%
Provenance · 3 source records, 21 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| HKU DataHub · removed upstream | oai:figshare.com:article/34003154 | 13 d ago | JSON v1 |
| figshare | oai:figshare.com:article/34003154 | 13 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Loughborough Research Repository · removed upstream | oai:figshare.com:article/34003154 | 12 d ago | JSON v1 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| access_level | source · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].anzsrc:group:3103 | mapping · figshare com | vocabulary-mapper@1.0.0 | keywords['Ecology'] |
| concepts[field].anzsrc:group:3402 | mapping · figshare com | vocabulary-mapper@1.0.0 | keywords['Inorganic Chemistry'] |
| concepts[field].local:field:astronomy | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:chemistry | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:computer-science-ai | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:earth-environmental | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:economics-finance | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:energy | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:engineering | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:humanities | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:life-sciences | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:medicine-health | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:ocean-atmospheric | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:physics | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:social-science | mapping · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[modality].local:modality:mass-spectrometry | enrichment · figshare com | keyword-concept-rules@1.0.0 | title+description (75%) |
| description | source · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | /metadata/dc/description |
| license | source · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | /metadata/dc/rights |
| publication_date | source · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | |
| title | source · figshare com | connector:figshare_com@1.0.0 | /metadata/dc/title |