CHAPTER 4 

 APPLICATIONS OF TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY 



Introduction 



Tandem mass spectrometers contain a second mass analyzer not found in 

 conventional single-stage instruments. This extra stage adds an additional dimension 

 to the selectivity of analysis via fragmentation by collision-induced dissociation (CID) 

 [33,56,83]. Tandem mass spectrometry has been demonstrated as an effective tool 

 in the determination of moth pheromones as well as shown to be beneficial in the 

 continuous monitoring of volatiles via the use of a membrane inlet system [84,85]. 

 These examples utilize the capability of the tandem mass spectrometer to perform 

 selected reaction monitoring (SRM). The work in this dissertation differs from these 

 in that MS/MS is applied for compound identification rather than monitoring specific 

 compounds. Additionally, the volatile compounds to be identified are relatively low 

 in relative molecular mass and thus are more amenable to CID than high molecular 

 weight compounds [86]. 



The applications of MS/MS to this project have been categorized into three 

 sections. The first section addresses the use of daughter spectra for compound 

 identification, both by spectral interpretation and by comparison to standards 

 analyzed under similar conditions. The second part concerns the formulation of a 



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