Optimization of mass spectrometric ionisation efficiency data

Abstract

A new method is developed and tested to find out the excited electronic and vibrational energy levels (fine structure) of molecules from mass spectrometric ionisation efficiency data which were obtained by a conventional mass spectrometer ion source having normal electron energy distribution. Electrons emitted in a conventional mass spectrometer ion source are not monoenergetic, therefore, evaluation of Ionisation Potentials (IF) and Appearance Potentials (AP) from experimental data creates some problems. This is even worse in the evaluation of Fine Structure (excited electronic and vibrational energy levels) from ionisation efficiency data [1]. This is overcome either by using specially designed monoenergetic ion sources which have their own problems (manufacture of special design, difficulty of operation, too much decrease of ion current), or by eliminating disturbing effects in the ionisation efficiency data by some deconvolution techniques [2,4,5,6,7,9]. In this study attempts were made to eliminate the deteriorating effects (mainly arising from electron energy distribution and noise) in the ionisation efficiency data by a deconvolution technique. The technique was applied to the ionisation efficiency data of molecular nitrogen,oxygen and methylammine and its fragment and interesting results were obtained.