The LMS-GT instrument – a new perspective for quantification with the LIMS-TOF measurement technique

Abstract

In this contribution we present the design and first measurement results obtained with a new high-performance laser ablation and ionisation (LIMS) mass spectrometer for solid sample analysis named “LMS-GT”, combining high mass- and high spatial resolving powers. The instrument consists of a fs-laser ablation ion source coupled to a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer that provides measurements with a mass resolution (m/Δm) of 10 000 at full width half max and more over a wide mass range. This resolution enables the separation of the most important isobaric interferences between clusters, molecules and multiple charged ions. Thereby it enables significant improvements of the quantitative analysis of complex samples with the LIMS-TOF technique. The instrument performance is demonstrated by analysis of measurements conducted on various NIST standard reference materials (SRMs). Using these samples we determined detection limits in the ppm range and below, and relative sensitivity coefficients (RSCs), in the range between 0.1 and 10.