Rydberg electron capture mass spectrometry of some environmental pollutants

This work relates a coupling between a Rydberg electron capture (REC) sourc e and a mass spectrometer (MS) using a quadrupole ion trap within a special operating mode. The MS instrument is only briefly described as it has alre ady been published. The advantages of the REC are shown, i.e. no fragmentat ion of the molecule occurs during charge exchange with the Rydberg xenon at oms. The molecular ion lifetime seems to be sufficient to perform mass spec trometry by Fourier analysis. The experiments concern certain molecules of interest in the field of the environment having a positive electron affinit y to insure Rydberg electron capture, i.e. certain polyaromatic hydrocarbon s, certain polychloro-biphenyls, and one dioxin. (Int J Mass Spectrom 189 ( 1999) 181-188) (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.