Sample Submission for the routine MS service.
This page outlines our submission guidelines for submitting
samples to the mass spectrometry service.
For automatic (routine) ESI analysis:
For low-mass polar organics, which will be run on the automatically on the micrOTOF,
we need a weighed amount (approx. 1 mg) of solid or approx. 100 μl (1 mg/mL) of an accurately made up solution. We will then dilute as
appropriate before the analysis. The best solvents for you to use are DCM,
MeOH or MeCN. We dilute samples in DCM/MeOH (50%) and they are run through an acid free reverse phase solvent system (MeOH/water 50%). If your sample is reactive with MeOH or water then you must tell us as this is an inappropriate analytical method.
For manual samples:
For any reactive low molecular weight samples or any other samples (e.g. peptides, sugars, dedrimers, inorganics complexes etc) it
is best to provide about 1 mg of solid if possible. If only available
in solution then 100μl of solution is also acceptable. Manual samples can
be submitted in whatever solvent is good for your samples and a range
of solvents can be used for the analysis. The most common is MeOH/DCM
(50%), but other solvent systems that work are MeCN, MeCN/water,
MeOH/water, THF/Toluene, fluoro benezene and nitromethane. If unsure,
please come and ask before submission.
For Maldi analysis:
Please come and talk to Dr Paul Gates before
submitting samples for Maldi analysis. This is to enable you to discuss
your needs for the analysis. Please supply 1 mg of solid for low-mass
samples (<10 kDa). Anything over 10 kDa please supply 1mg per 10
kDa if possible. Please provide details of best solvents (most
solvents can be used) and possible matrices if known.
For EI, CI and GC-MS:
For routine samples, please follow the guidelines for ESI above. However, the solvent used must be volatile. In most cases EI and CI samples will be run via GC-MS. In specific cases when a sample is especially thermally unstable then we can use a probe to introduce the sample to the instrument.
For all other techniques, please come and ask us before sample submission.