Crude oil is one of the most complex samples analysed in today's laboratories. It comprises a diverse mixture of polar and non-polar constituents,1 which presents a demanding challenge to the analytical chemist. As a consequence, a broad array of instrumentation and techniques is required to address this complexity, including gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS).2 Implementing multiple dimensions of separation can offer increased resolution of components within crude oil samples, and enhance overall sample characterisation. One such orthogonal separation technique is ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), which, when coupled with high resolution MS, provides a powerful tool for complex sample characterisation.3In this work we demonstrate how IMS coupled with MS (IMS-MS) can deliver detailed information about various different crude oil samples, including oils originating from different geographical locations, and feedstock and effluent oil samples. Key patterns within the data are highlighted and examined, and useful molecular sizes distributions are calculated through the implementation of collisional cross section (CCS) measurements - information that can only be found by using IMS. Finally, we consider the benefit of including further chromatographic separation prior to ionisation and mobility separation with high resolution mass detection.(1) Marshall, A. G.; Rodgers, R. P. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2008 , 105, 18090-18095.(2) Medrignac, I.; Espinat, D. Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP 2007 , 62(1), 7-32.(3) Ponthus, J.; Riches, E. International Journal of Ion Mobility Spectrometry 2013 , 16(2), 95-103.

Evaluating the potential offered by ion mobility spectrometry when coupled with additional separation techniques and mass spectrometric detection for crude oil analysis

247th National Meeting (2014)

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