Differentiating Nylons Using Direct Analysis in Real Time Coupled to an AccuTOF Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

Torki A Zughaibi; Robert R Steiner

doi:10.1021/jasms.0c00051

Differentiating Nylons Using Direct Analysis in Real Time Coupled to an AccuTOF Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2020 Apr 1;31(4):982-985. doi: 10.1021/jasms.0c00051. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Authors

Torki A Zughaibi^{1

2}, Robert R Steiner³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Technologies, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
² King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
³ Virginia Department of Forensic Science, Richmond, Virginia 23219, United States.

PMID: 32233381
DOI: 10.1021/jasms.0c00051

Abstract

Nylons are chemically synthesized polymers that are used in a variety of ways. This study differentiates multiple nylon types using direct analysis in real time (DART) coupled with an orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight (oaTOF) mass spectrometer (MS). Seven closely related nylon standards were studied. A DART helium gas temperature of 275 °C was chosen as an optimum for the analysis of nylons. Use of collision induced dissociation (CID) to induce fragmentation increased the power of discrimination. All seven nylon standards were successfully differentiated and identified using DART-MS.

Keywords: direct analysis in real time; mass spectrometry; nylon; polymer; time-of-flight.