Abstract
Of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (C+) tricyanomethide (A−) high-mass cluster ions of both positive ([C n An–1]+) and negative ([Cn–1A n ]−) charge were generated and detected by direct analysis in real time (DART) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS). After optimization of the settings of the DART ionization source and of the mass analyser, ions of m/z values unprecedented in DART-MS were detected. Thus, the upper m/z limits of positive-ion and negative-ion DART-MS were substantially expanded. Negative-ion DART-MS delivered cluster ions up to [C15A16]−, m/z 3527 (nominal mass of monoisotopic ion), while positive-ion DART-MS even yielded ions up to [C30A29]+, m/z 6784. The identification of the cluster ions is supported by their accurate mass and exact mass differences corresponding to CA between adjacent cluster ion peaks.
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