US 11,733,247 B2
Breaking of disulfide bonds of a nebulized analyte
Stevan Bajic, Manchester (GB); and Jeffery Mark Brown, Hyde (GB)
Assigned to Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
Appl. No. 16/604,933
Filed by Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
PCT Filed Apr. 13, 2018, PCT No. PCT/GB2018/050991
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 11, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/189558, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 18, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 1706002 (GB), filed on Apr. 13, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0285956 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 49/10 (2006.01); G01N 33/68 (2006.01); G01N 30/72 (2006.01); H01J 49/00 (2006.01); H01J 49/16 (2006.01); H01J 49/06 (2006.01); H01J 49/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/6857 (2013.01) [G01N 30/7266 (2013.01); G01N 33/6848 (2013.01); H01J 49/0068 (2013.01); H01J 49/045 (2013.01); H01J 49/062 (2013.01); H01J 49/165 (2013.01); H01J 49/168 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of ionising a sample comprising:
nebulising a sample which includes first biomolecules comprising one or more disulphide (S—S) bonds; and
directing a stream of droplets or charged droplets having one or more disulphide (S—S) bonds so as to pass through an electric field region so as to cause the breaking of a portion of the disulphide bonds, wherein the electric field region is determined by an electrode and an ion inlet of a mass spectrometer, and wherein the electrode is arranged downstream of a nebuliser or electrospray probe.