CRIMS - CHEMICAL-REACTION INTERFACE MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Chemical Reaction Interface/Mass Spectrometry (CRIMS) has evolved from a concept into a selective, sensitive, and versatile technique by which targeted isotopes or elements can be monitored in studies of metabolism. CRIMS parallels the use of radioisotopes in that each technique monitors for its tracers independent from the chemical structures in which the targeted species exist. Using CRIMS, intact analytes are decomposed to their elemental species in a high-temperature electronic plasma and interact with atoms of a reactant gas to form a set of new, small, polyatomic species that are detected by a conventional mass spectrometer. The presence of a given polyatomic species signifies the presence of a particular element, the abundance of that species quantifies it, and the isotopic signature of that species can differentiate it from endogenous materials. By subtracting the known natural abundance of the stable isotope that is used as a tracer, a chromatogram showing only enriched species can be produced. CRIMS has been interfaced with gas and liquid chromatography, and a number of applications have been carried out. This review covers the history, development, methodology, chemistry, and applications of CRIMS. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.