Enantiomer-specific analysis of multi-component mixtures by correlated electron imaging–ion mass spectrometry

Mohammad M Rafiee Fanood, N. Bhargava Ram, C. Stefan Lehmann, Ivan Powis () and Maurice H. M. Janssen
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Mohammad M Rafiee Fanood: VU University Amsterdam
N. Bhargava Ram: VU University Amsterdam
C. Stefan Lehmann: VU University Amsterdam
Ivan Powis: School of Chemistry, University Park, University of Nottingham
Maurice H. M. Janssen: VU University Amsterdam

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Simultaneous, enantiomer-specific identification of chiral molecules in multi-component mixtures is extremely challenging. Many established techniques for single-component analysis fail to provide selectivity in multi-component mixtures and lack sensitivity for dilute samples. Here we show how enantiomers may be differentiated by mass-selected photoelectron circular dichroism using an electron–ion coincidence imaging spectrometer. As proof of concept, vapours containing ∼1% of two chiral monoterpene molecules, limonene and camphor, are irradiated by a circularly polarized femtosecond laser, resulting in multiphoton near-threshold ionization with little molecular fragmentation. Large chiral asymmetries (2–4%) are observed in the mass-tagged photoelectron angular distributions. These asymmetries switch sign according to the handedness (R- or S-) of the enantiomer in the mixture and scale with enantiomeric excess of a component. The results demonstrate that mass spectrometric identification of mixtures of chiral molecules and quantitative determination of enantiomeric excess can be achieved in a table-top instrument.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8511

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