A simple, versatile approach for coupling a liquid chromatograph and chemical ionization mass spectrometer for offline analysis of organic aerosol

Abstract

A method is described for coupling a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) for the offline analysis of organic aerosol. It employs a nebulizer interface and the Vaporization Inlet for Aerosols (VIA), allowing for the transmission of analytes from the HPLC eluent into the CIMS inlet. Performance of the HPLC-VIA-CIMS system was assessed through the analysis of carboxylic acid standards, environmental chamber-generated secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from the ozonolysis of α-pinene, and ambient OA collected in an urban setting. Chromatographic peak shapes were retained through nebulization and evaporation, providing baseline-resolved separation of C6-C18 carboxylic acids and generating molecular-level detail that is not attainable using HPLC or CIMS alone. Instrument response was found to be linear (R2 > 0.97) over an order of magnitude (0.2-3.0 nmol or 2-30 nmol on column) for each of the 12 standards. Analysis of α-pinene ozonolysis SOA achieved isomer-resolved detection of both monomer and dimer reaction products and, through the use of a diode array detector (DAD), illustrated the preservation of chromatographic peak shape through nebulization and evaporation. The HPLC-VIA-CIMS instrument also shows potential for quantitative analysis, provided that authentic standards can be purchased or synthesized, and semi-quantitative analysis of UV-absorbing compounds such as nitrates and carboxylic acids by using a DAD. The system is compatible with small sample quantities (e.g., 30 μg of α-pinene ozonolysis SOA), allowing for detailed molecular characterization of field-collected SOA, including the identification of several monoterpene oxidation products. © 2025 Andre F. Schaum et al.