A New Postcolumn Addition Method of the Matrix for Microbore Liquid Chromatography/Frit-Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry

In the combination of liquid chromatography (LC)-fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS), a new frit postcolumn addition of matrix (frit-PAM) system was designed to overcome the problems such as the diffusion of analytes and the ineffective ionization on FAB probe under the slow mobile phase flow. This system had a coaxial flow of LC effluent and FAB matrix in two separate tubes, and a frit to mix the both flows. The potential of this system was explored in the Frit-FAB LC/MS analysis of the tryptic digest of lysozyme as a test sample. This system can allow to use the mobile phases for the optimum separation in LC and the FAB matrix solution for the optimum ionization of analytes in FABMS, respectively, and can provide a high sensitivity.