HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY (PNEUMATICALLY ASSISTED ELECTROSPRAY) OF HYDROXY POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS

Electrospray (ES) in both positive and negative ionization mode and co upling high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to mass spectrome try (MS) for the characterization of hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydro carbons (hydroxy-PAHs) are studied in this work. A series of reference hydroxy-PAHs were separated on a reversed-phase column and their ES s pectra were analyzed in both ionization modes. [M + H](+) and [M - H]( -) were obtained for positive and negative ES. Reduction of quinones w as also observed in negative ES. Suitable masses for single-ion monito ring were used in HPLC-MS analysis. Flow injection of solute standards in isocratic mode and LC analyses in gradient mode using methanol-for mic acid/ammonium formate 10 mM, pH 3 as eluent were performed.