ASM - Advanced characterization of molecules from small to large molecular weights

As part of the Wallonia Recovery Plan and the BIOGREEN Excellence Platform, the ASM platform has recently acquired a new Waters^TM SYNAPT XS high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) coupled with an ACQUITY Plus UPLC (Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography) to boost research in the fields of chemistry, biology and materials science..

Mass spectrometry analysis is a powerful technique used to identify chemical compounds and determine their molecular structure by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of their ions. This technique, known for its high precision and sensitivity, allows to identify and quantify chemical compounds with great accuracy, even when they are present at trace levels.

UPLC/MS coupling allows for a significant improvement in chromatographic performance.

This new mass spectrometer is equipped with several ionization sources (ESI, APCI, ASAP, DESI) and offers the possibility of carrying out ion mobility and collision cross section (CCS) measurements.

With this new equipment, the ASM platform now has a high-performance, flexible and highly versatile tool. This mass spectrometer enables precise high-resolution mass measurements (HRMS) in combination with ion mobility measurements (IMS-MS) for advanced characterization of molecules from small to large molecular weights: small organic molecules, amino acids, peptides, metal complexes, polymers, oligonucleotides, proteins, lipids, sugars, fatty acids, etc.

Applications (non-exhaustive list)

• Rapid confirmation (identification) of molecules (MM) for publication in scientific journals.
• Analysis of complex samples containing unknown molecules.
• Search for impurities, detection and quantification of trace molecules.
• Identification and separation of isomers/conformers.
• Development of analytical methods specific to the needs of UCLouvain researchers and students or external clients.

Contact 

• Laurent Collard

Picture credit : ASM