Secondary electrospray ionization and tools like Super SESI allow us to safely detect large molecules in the gas phase, with an extremely low LoD.

We have developed this first pilot unit within the PERFECT LIFE project (funded by the European Union). It comprises a gas conditioning unit, a desorber, the Super SESI, the MS, and of course, the cartridges!

Rising the humidity level of the gas introduced through the sample line accelerates the charge transfer reaction rate in Secondary Electrospray Ionization (SESI). It is hypothesized that larger clusters transfer their charge more efficiently than smaller clusters or even bare ions.

As you probably already know, current VOC MS analyzers can detect high volatile species, even when they are present in very low concentrations. For instance, in 2009 P. Spanel and D. Smith measured the concentration of ammonia, acetone, methanol, ethanol, and isoprene in human breath using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) [1] .

In the equilibrium, both Secondary Electro Spray Ionization (SESI) and Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI) generate charged water clusters that act as charging agents. What are the differences bewtween these ionization techniques?

Secondary Electro-Spray Ionization (SESI) uses a nano-electrospray that produces a cloud of charging ions. These ions ionize the vapor molecules that are in contact with the cloud.