The Microsaic 4000 MiD® is a miniaturized single quadrupole mass detector that has been developed for non-MS specialist users.
While retaining the same performance, the system has a significantly smaller footprint than conventional MS systems, as well as being less complex to operate and maintain with a considerably decreased cost of ownership.
The 4000 MiD® has been intentionally designed so that the vacuum system, electronics, and computer are all integrated into one unit to allow installation of the instrument in places where no other MS can be easily deployed, as displayed in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Microsaic 4000 MiD® utilizes chip-based components. Image Credit: Microsaic Systems
The Microsaic MiDasTM is a compact interface module that allows the straightforward deployment of mass detection in a broad range of online, offline, and at-line applications. The MiDasTM provides automated dilution, which facilitates MS analysis with minimal sample handling.
The application portfolio from Microsaic Systems ranges from traditional LC-MS analysis to previously unserved markets that will benefit from point-of-need mass detection.
This article presents the versatility of the application range of Microsaic Systems, as well as the advantages of improved process productivity and profitability through integrating easy-to-use mass detection.
Mass directed purification
Methods for purification, including preparative and flash chromatography, have become fundamental to specialty chemical production and compound synthesis. Integrating easy-to-use mass detection in a traditional purification workflow eliminates numerous limitations that arise when using only optical detection.
Fraction collection is generally monitored by ultraviolet/visible light (UV/VIS) detection in the traditional workflow.
However, this approach has limitations due to uncertainty concerning the composition of the collected fraction. This means that offline MS analysis is required by specialized facilities for the precise identification of the fraction composition.
Utilizing online mass detection for fraction collection removes the required additional cost and time for offline MS analysis.
Microsaic Systems has successfully proven process improvements that lead to savings in both cost and time for the purification of small molecules and peptides.1
Direct analysis
Direct injection MS analysis delivers instant mass identification and confirmation. This technique offers automated online dilution with minimal sample preparation and can be applied to the pharma sector to rapidly screen samples and to academia to provide a teaching aid.
Direct injection MS analysis has been reported by Microsaic Systems to detect counterfeit and adulterated alcoholic drinks.2 A whisky fingerprint analysis was conducted to demonstrate the capability of the method for distinguishing differences in brands and blends of whiskies.
Reaction monitoring
For online monitoring of chemical transformations, mass detection can be employed to analyze the composition of a reaction in real-time.
This specific workflow provides data to monitor starting materials, identify the presence of reactive transients and impurities, as well as determine steady-state conditions and optimize the reaction yield.
Reaction monitoring with online mass detection enables rapid screening and efficient reaction optimization. This means that conventional offline analysis is no longer required, saving both time and money.
All the advantages of integrating easy-to-use mass detection into chemical synthesis workflows for real-time analysis have been demonstrated by Microsaic Systems.3
Direct extraction
Utilizing a hand-held extraction platform together with the 4000 MiD® mass detector enables at-line extraction MS analysis to be performed. This setup provides automated sample clean-up and concentration before MS analysis takes place.
At-line extraction MS analysis of caffeine from Redbull4 was successfully demonstrated by Microsaic Systems to be a quick, easy, and inexpensive approach for the screening of target analytes in complex matrices.
Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)
TLC-MS is becoming more widely used with applications such as the identification and elucidation of unknown substances in research, forensic and environmental fields.
The TLC-MS system delivers a straightforward way to elute a desired TLC spot from a plate and subsequently direct it to the mass detector to easily obtain mass spectral data for the identification of compounds.
The integration of the TLC-MS interface with the miniaturized, deployable, single quadrupole 4000 MiD® mass detector offers an entirely standalone and simple-to-use solution for TLC spot identification.5
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Using MS in conjunction with HPLC is a powerful analytical tool for the detection and identification of chemicals in complex mixtures. The small footprint of the Microsaic 4000 MiD® makes it a perfect upgrade for users that wish to enhance the detection ability of their current HPLC instrument.
The design of 4000 MiD® allows chemists to have a simple-to-use single quadrupole mass detector that can be employed for a broad range of bench-top LC applications.
Microsaic Systems6 has reported using the 4000 MiD® for detecting pesticides, peptides, and carbohydrates, and quantifying a pharmaceutical drug, displaying great system application versatility with minimal instrument optimization.
Conclusions
The use of miniaturized mass detection earlier in a process can boost productivity and deliver conclusive answers at significantly lower cost without the infrastructure of conventional mass spectrometry systems.
Personnel who are not specialists in analytical chemistry can use the technology, which substantially broadens the range of applications available.
Considering online simple-to-use mass detection, Microsaic’s application portfolio lessens the complexity of analytical processes in comparison to conventional offline analysis. The applications of this portfolio range from LC-MS to previously unserved markets that stand to gain from deployable mass detection at the point of need.
To learn more about how to increase productivity by removing the bottleneck of traditional offline analysis, contact Microsaic, where an advisor will be happy to discuss how to integrate low-cost, miniaturized MS into your process.
References and further reading
- Purification of peptides and small molecules using a preparative LC and Microsaic 4000 MiD0 ‘ mass detector.
- Rapid detection of counterfeit and adulterated alcoholic drinks by deployable and direct ESl-MS.
- Online reaction monitoring of continuous flow chemical synthesis using Microsaic 4000 MiD® mass spectrometer.
- At-line extraction MS analysis of caffeine in Redbull.
- Direct TLC-MS analysis using the 4000MiD®.
- HPLC-MS applications of the Microsaic 4000 MiDTM.
About Microsaic Systems
Founded in 2001, Microsaic Systems plc (AIM: MSYS) develops real-time, point-of-need mass spectrometers. Microsaic offers fast, accurate cutting-edge solutions to multiple industries across the world.
Core products, such as the compact MiD series of mass detectors, are designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of third-party OEM equipment or used as a standalone system. At the forefront of our design ethos is to deliver fast, easy to use, powerful mass spectrometry (MS) performance.
Patented chip-based MS technology and intuitive software enables real-time data generation at the point-of-need, not just in a centralised laboratory. Designed for both pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical applications, continuous data is accessible at any stage of your workflow.
Over 20 years’ experience in mass spectrometry, microfluidics, vacuum systems, analytical processes, and miniaturised instrumentation has led to the development of our outsourced services. Laboratory, engineering, and monitoring issues can now be solved with a world-class team of chemists, physicists, and engineers by your side.
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