Ion Mobility Spectrometry Coupled to Laser-Induced Fluorescence

We report on interfacing a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to simultaneously retrieve two-dimensional information on the electrical mobility and fluorescence spectroscopy of gas-phase ions. The fact that the separation of ions within DMA takes place in space rather than in time allows for the continuous selection of ion beams within a narrow range of mobilities that are further analyzed by LIF. Combination of DMA with LIF is simple and robust. It allows one to detect fluorescence from specified ions, including clusters, which would not survive in a mass spectrometer. Complex mixtures of fluorescent compounds can be separated by the DMA and studied by LIF. LIF is a sensitive technique and useful in the study of molecular interactions. DMA with LIF detection can be used for studies of gas-phase fluorescence of small molecules such as different dyes and their conjugates. This unique instrument combination may also provide a powerful platform for probing fluorescent proteins in the gas phase, which is of great fundamental interest for better understanding of their physical and chemical properties. In the present work, we have studied the gas-phase laser-induced fluorescence of mobility-selected rhodamine 6G ions.