Capillary zone electrophoresis/tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of sulfonated azo dyes

Full-scan capillary zone electrophoresis/mass spectrometry and capillary zone electrophoresis/tandem mass spectrometry (CZE/MS/MS) are demonstrated for the determination of monosulfonated and polysulfonated azo dyes at the low picomole levels. Under selected ion monitoring conditions femtomole levels of the dyes are detectable. Ion evaporation via the ion spray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry interface is a mild form of ionization exhibiting only deprotonated singly charged or poly-deprotonated multiply charged negative molecular ions for sulfonated azo dyes. CZE/MS/MS daughter ion scanning after collision-induced dissociation of the molecular species for all sulfonated azo dyes contained the sulfonate ion (m/z 80). The presence of three sulfonated azo dyes in a wastewater extract was confirmed by parent ion scanning for the sulfonate daughter ion (m/z 80).