Sit back and let IONIQUE do your busy work.

Advanced Ionization

 

Ionique combines the convenience of an autosampler with the power of advanced ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI), matrix-assisted ionization (MAI), and solvent-assisted ionization (SAI).

Small but Robust

Weighing only several pounds, the Ionique will easily mount on the front of most Waters or Thermo, and soon Agilent instruments. It is so lightweight that it can be held in one hand as demonstrated by Prof. Sarah Trimpin.

 

Fully Automated

Who doesn’t hate sitting for hours in a lab shifting around tubes and plates? Luckily, Ionique can help. Program an experiment and relax while Ionique handles all 384 of your samples, reproducibly injecting precise amounts and ionizing them according to the method you select, or use all methods to get a more comprehensive picture of your sample.

Want to add efficiency to your lab and get more comprehensive results? The Ionique automated multi-ionization platform is unique providing multiple ionization methods in a lightweight unit allowing ready replacement of the commercial ion source in minutes. No need for a dedicated mass spectrometer. Software provides templates for close alignment and a simple intuitive fine alignment protocol so that setup is fast and easy.

Selection of electrospray ionization (ESI), matrix-assisted ionization (MAI), and solvent-assisted ionization (SAI) is by a mouse click. Because sample is delivered to the ionization region using a metal capillary which is washed between acquisitions, no expensive consumables are necessary. ESI and SAI only use washing solutions, and MAI requires in addition a matrix solution. Sampling from 96 and 384 well plates as well as vials and Eppendorf tubes is available.

Typically 1 microliter of solution is sprayed in ESI achieving sensitivity comparable to commercial ESI sources. For SAI and MAI only 0.1 – 0.2 microliters of analyte solution is used.

ESI, MAI, and SAI have all been shown to have different ionization efficiencies for various compounds so that the combination of methods give a more complete analysis, especially for complex mixtures encountered with biological samples as shown here for the S. aureus bacterial cell extract.  The top spectrum is acquired using 0.1 microliter of the extract with MAI using the 3-NBN matrix and shows major ions corresponding to proteins.  The bottom spectrum is 1.0 microliters of extract by ESI and shows abundant low-mass ions with low abundant metal adducted protein ions.  The proteins observed by MAI and ESI are different, but some singly charged ions are the same.