Introduction; Chapter 1 Introduction - Thermo Scientific LTQ XL Getting Started

Thermo Electron Corporation

Introduction

Chapter 1
The LTQ XL™ is a member of the Thermo family of MS detectors. The
LTQ XL MS detector is an advanced analytical instrument that includes a
syringe pump, a divert/inject valve, an atmospheric pressure ionization
(API) source, an MS detector, and the Xcalibur data system. In a typical
analysis, a sample can be introduced in any one of the following ways:
• Using the syringe pump (direct infusion)
• Using the inject valve fitted with a loop and an LC pump (flow injection
analysis)
• Using a valve and an LC system fitted with a column (LC/MS)
In analysis by LC/MS, a sample is injected onto an LC column. The sample
is then separated into its various components. The components elute from
the LC column and pass into the MS detector where they are analyzed.
Analysis by direct infusion or flow injection provides no chromatographic
separation of components in the sample before it passes into the MS
detector. The data from the MS detector is then stored and processed by the
Xcalibur data system.
This introduction answers the following questions:
• Why Use the LTQ XL MS Detector?
• Which MS Detector Technique—ESI or APCI—Is Better for Analyzing
My Samples?
• How Can I Introduce My Samples into the MS Detector?
• What Types of Buffers Should I Use? What Types Should I Avoid?
• How Should I Set Up the MS Detector for Various LC Flow Rates?
• What is Tuning and Calibration of the MS Detector All About?
• What Types of Experiments Can I Perform with the LTQ XL MS
Detector?
LTQ XL Getting Started 1