A versatile 16-pole ion trap setup for investigating photophysics of biomolecular ions

Abstract

A linear 16-pole ion trap-based experimental setup has been designed, implemented, and characterized to investigate the photophysics of biomolecules in the gas phase. Electrospray ionization is employed to generate the ions in the gas phase at atmospheric pressure. The voltage configuration on the ion funnel, the ion optic device in the first vacuum interface, is used to control the energy of the ions. A home-built quadrupole mass-filter is utilized for the mass-selection of the ions of interest. A 16-pole ion trap designed and built in-house is implemented for ion trapping. The instrument’s versatility and capability are showcased by demonstrating the fragmentation patterns of protonated and deprotonated tryptophan, as well as describing the photodetachment decay of deprotonated indole.