A combined magnetic sector–time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer for structural determination studies by tandem mass spectrometry

A combined magnetic sector–time‐of‐flight instrument has been constructed and used with both continuous (liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization) and pulsed (matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization) ion sources. The design includes provision for both low‐ and high‐energy gas collision induced decompositions and orthogonal acceleration of the product ions into the time‐of‐flight mass analyser. Tandem mass spectra may be acquired for singly and multiply charged precursor ions and reliable mass measurements are easily obtained. Product‐ion mass spectra are quite reproducible regardless of any instability in the precursor ion beam intensity.