Leveraging High-Resolution Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Approaches for Improving Analysis of Metabolites, Illicit Drugs, and Environmental Contaminants

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) has emerged as a powerful analytical technique in the biological -omics over the last two decades, due to advantages in speed and separation capabilities. Despite its now widespread utility, the resolving power of many commercial IM platforms (~40-60) is often insufficient for resolution of structurally similar compounds such as stereoisomers. This presents a critical need for us to develop higher resolution techniques to continue to push the boundaries of molecular discovery. This presentation will focus on recent developments in IM technology, hybrid methods, and complementary chemical reactions to improve analysis of a wide range of biologically relevant species. First, we will discuss Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) high-resolution ion mobility (HRIM), including recent hardware modifications and application to environmental contaminants. Second, we will investigate interesting gas-phase behavior of fentanyl analogues and how combining IM with MS/MS and hydrogen-deuterium exchange can provide unprecedented structural detail. Finally, we will present an analytical suite of simple, inexpensive reactions targeting steroid functional groups for significantly improved sensitivity, selectivity, and structural elucidation.