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Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry
Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
Partner with Quantum Analytics Group for LC-MS analysis that delivers the clarity, confidence, and compliance your project demands—whether confirming compound identity, quantifying trace impurities, or supporting regulatory submissions.
Ionization Techniques
The most widely used atmospheric-pressure ionization sources are:
Electrospray Ionization (ESI) – a soft ionization technique well-suited for polar, ionic, and high-molecular-weight analytes such as peptides, proteins, and metabolites.
Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI) – effective for moderately polar, thermally stable compounds such as pharmaceuticals, lipids, and small organic molecules.
Both techniques generate gas-phase ions under atmospheric conditions, enabling direct coupling of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry.
Mass Analyzer Configurations
LC-MS systems may employ different types of mass analyzers, each providing distinct analytical capabilities.
Single-Quadrupole LC-MS
A single quadrupole mass analyzer functions as a mass filter, transmitting ions of a specific m/z value to the detector. This configuration provides accurate mass determination and qualitative confirmation of molecular ions. Single-quadrupole LC-MS is ideal for routine screening, purity assessment, and molecular-weight confirmation of small molecules and semi-volatile compounds.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS or Triple-Quadrupole LC-MS/MS)
In a triple-quadrupole system, two mass-filtering quadrupoles (Q1 and Q3) are separated by a collision cell (q2).
How LC-MS Works
LC-MS combines liquid chromatographic separation—which resolves complex sample mixtures into discrete components based on chemical and physical properties—with mass spectrometric detection, which measures the mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio of ionized analytes. This combination allows for high-throughput separation, detection, and structural identification of compounds that are non-volatile, thermally labile, or polar—molecules typically unsuitable for gas chromatography.
Mass spectrometry provides molecular-level information including molecular weight, elemental composition (empirical formula), fragmentation pattern, and relative abundance. These data enable structural elucidation and quantitation of target analytes with a high degree of specificity.
Application
LC-MS and LC-MS/MS techniques are applicable to a wide array of analytical problems, including:
- Identification and characterization of unknown compounds and degradation products
- Quantitative analysis of drugs, metabolites, and trace contaminants
- Impurity profiling and confirmation of synthetic pathway intermediates
- Bioanalytical quantitation of endogenous and exogenous compounds in biological matrices
- Structural elucidation via fragmentation pattern analysis
- Composition analysis of complex mixtures such as formulations, extracts, and natural products
Benefits
Why This Technique Matters:
- High Sensitivity and Low Detection Limits - LC-MS techniques can detect analytes at trace and ultra-trace concentrations—often down to the picogram or femtogram range.
- Exceptional Selectivity and Specificity - Because mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, LC-MS can distinguish analytes that are chemically similar or present in complex mixtures.
- Structural and Molecular Information - Unlike many detectors that simply quantify a signal, LC-MS provides structural insight through fragmentation patterns This allows analysts to identify unknown compounds, confirm molecular formulas, and study reaction mechanisms.
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