Application of time array detection to capillary column gas chromatography/conventional time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The technique of time array detection (TAD) is designed to take advantage of the high spectral generation rate available in time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. In TAD, a number of successive TOF arrival time transient signals are summed to produce each recorded mass spectrum. The TOF/TAD technique offers significant improvements over conventional scanning mass spectrometers for the analysis of capillary GC effluents. Up to 20 mass spectra per second were generated to demonstrate the accurate reconstruction of the chromatographic profile and the lack of mass spectral distortion despite the rapidly changing analyte concentration. Varying the number of TOF transients per recorded spectrum allows the chromatography to be optimized for speed of analysis without sacrificing chromatographic resolution or detection limits. Components of charcoal lighter fluid were chromatographically separated in less than 4 min with quality mass spectra obtained for each eluent.