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Inverse Ionic Peak with a MS Ion Trap

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 8:39 am
by problemeste
Hi,

we carry out an analysis of API and we get a Total Ion Chromatogram with a inverse ionic peak...we have never seen before and we are wondering why?? Does anyone have any idea about it?

Thanks!

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:01 am
by bhuvfe
Do you mean a negative chromatographic peak?

Maybe try posting a picture of what you see.

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:19 am
by lmh
In LC-MS, if that's where you are, a negative peak usually happens in an extracted ion chromatogram of a mass that happens to be present as a background ion, where something else elutes at a particular retention time, and cosuppresses the background ion at that point.

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:03 pm
by problemeste
Thank you very much for you quickly answer!

I can't attach it...or maybe i have no idea. Please send me ur email and i send u the chromatogram (TIC, EIC , UV).

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:31 pm
by problemeste
I've gotten it to work!

http://img692.imageshack.us/i/dibujoed.gif/

So here u can show it!

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:24 pm
by bhuvfe
As lmh mentioned a negative peak in LC-MS is created by ion suppression of the background ions due to the passing of your analyte. For compounds that don't ionize well this is relatively common (at least for my analytes). Unless you find a way to decrease the background (or improve the ionization of the peak at 11.2 min) there's probably nothing you can do to avoid this.

But considering that you have quite a decent peak in the EIC and that many instruments have software to dig up peaks out of the noise you can use the data easily.