During 17-22.02.2013 The first Analytical Chemistry Winter school “Novel analysis methods”, organized by the St. Petersburg’s State University, took place near St. Petersburg (Russia). Ivo Leito participated in the event and gave a short lecture about Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with the electrospray ion source (LC-ESI-MS/MS) as a tool in trace contaminant analysis. The lecture presented the difficulties in connecting LC to MS, described electrospray (ESI) ion source as the most widely used intrerface for connecting LC and MS, briefly explained the multidimensional information obtainable from LC-MS experiment and finally reviewed the benefits of tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS or MS2) detection in trace contaminant analysis as opposed to simple MS detection.

As real-life examples of using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in analysis of traces of contaminants and bioactive compounds, see for example the following:
— Determination of pesticide glyphosate in cereals LC-ESI-MSMS (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2011, 25, 3252–3258)
— Analysis of seleno amino acids selenomethylselenocysteine and selenomethionine by LC-ESI-MS/MS with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate derivatization (Analyst 2011, 136, 5241-5246)
— Analysis of five pesticides (methomyl, thiabendazole, aldicarb, imazalil, methiocarb) in five fruit/vegetable matrices (tomato, cucumber, apple, rye and garlic) using LC/MSMS with electrospray ionization (Analytica Chimica Acta 2009, 651, 75–80)

Ivo Leito also gave a short overview of the Applied Measurement Science programme.

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