Sample Submission Guidelines

  1. Routine accurate mass measurements can be done by EI, CI, ESI, and FAB
    • The upper mass range for HR ESI is ~ 2000 Da
    • The upper mass range for HR FAB is ~ 2200 Da
    • The upper mass range for HR EI/CI is ~ 800 Da
  2. The upper mass range for LR FD/FAB is ~ 5000 Da
  3. Air sensitive samples can be run by EI, CI, FI, FD, ESI, and LIFDI with advanced notice. The user will have to provide dry solvent(s) for ESI and FD.
  4. Conductive polymers and carbon nanotubes as MALDI matrixes cause MALDI instruments to malfunction. Conductive polymer MALDI matrixes should not be run on MALDI without specific approval of the lab director and carbon nanotubes matrixes should not be used.
  5. MALDI samples on glass chips or samples need a special adapter for the MALDI target frame. They must be approved by the lab director before analysis each time.
  6. Instrument maintenances can only be performed by the lab staff. Modifications for any instrument are not allowed.
  7. For LCMS samples, a protocol either developed on your own or from the literature for the similar compounds is preferred. Mass Spectrometry Facility’s general purpose protocol is available but your samples should not cause any damage and> should not stick on the columns if a Mass Spectrometry Facility column is needed.
  8. On the chart Mass Spec User Guidelines, there are points where a decision leads to a split recommendation, which indicates that the sample should generally work in both techniques. Guidelines for these samples are:
    • ESI/FAB samples should be run in ESI, unless they are known or expected to work better in FAB.
    • CI/FI samples should be run in CI if HR is needed

Please see the Submit a Sample page for information on where to bring / send samples.