Mass Spectrometry

Welcome to the mass spectrometry laboratory of the Chemistry Department at the University of Zurich. Rapid and highly accurate measurements of pure, complex, volatile, or biological samples using various ionization methods are provided. We also support research projects, sample preparation procedures, and offer contract analyses in various domains as e.g. structure determination of unknowns, quantification, analysis of complex mixtures, principle component analyses (PCA), or polymer characterization. Most of the routine mass spectra are collected on four instruments, a Thermo Scientific DFS, a Bruker maXis, a Bruker EsquireLC, and a Bruker Autoflex MALDI-TOF using electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), electrospray ionization (ESI), and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI). The DFS (with GC on request) and the maXis (with UPLC on request) are used for accurate mass acquisition below 2 ppm and for performing chemical formulae determinations. These mass spectrometers provide not only the possibility to the molecular mass of labile small or large (bio)-molecules applied in solutions but also allows to obtain structural information by collision induced dissociation experiments (MS/MS).