Determination of High Boiling Point Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ag+ Electrospray Ionization-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry

A method for rapid identification of high boiling point polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS) has been developed. In this method, silver nitrate so:lution was introduced into HPLC ESI-TOF/MS system to induce the ionization of PAHs in the ESI ion source and to form characteristic ions such as [M](+), [M + Ag](+) and [2M + Ag](+). The PAR analytes could be identified rapidly by the accurate molecular weight and molecular formula information acquired with the developed method compared with references. Sixteen US EPA priority PAHs and PAHs in the crude oil were determined by this method. As a result, good mass signal of the PAHs with four or above four fused rings was obtained, which indicated that this method is suitable for the identification of high molecular and high boiling point PAHs with four or above four fused rings.