EMSL: Julia Laskin's Publications

Bateman AP, S Nizkorodov, J Laskin, and A Laskin. 2009. "Time-Resolved Molecular Characterization of Limonene/Ozone Aerosol using High-Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP (11):7931-7942. doi:10.1039/b905288g Abstract Molecular composition of limonene/O3 secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was investigated using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) as a function of reaction time. SOA was generated by ozonation of D-limonene in a reaction chamber and sampled at different time intervals using a cascade impactor. The SOA samples were extracted into acetonitrile and analyzed using a HR-ESI-MS instrument with a resolving power of 100,000 (m/Δm). The resulting mass spectra provided detailed information about the extent of oxidation inferred from the O:C ratios, double bond equivalency (DBE) factors, and aromaticity indexes (AI) in hundreds of identified individual SOA species.

Hadjar O, P Wang, JH Futrell, and J Laskin. 2009. "Effect of the Surface on Charge Reduction and Desorption Kinetics of Soft Landed Peptide Ions." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 20(6):901-906. Abstract Charge reduction and desorption kinetics of ions and neutral molecules produced by soft-landing of mass-selected singly and doubly protonated Gramicidin S (GS) on different surfaces was studied using time dependant in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) integrated in a specially designed Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) research instrument. Soft-landing targets utilized in this study included inert self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 1-dodecane thiol (HSAM) and its fluorinated analog (FSAM) on gold and hydrophilic carboxyl-terminated (COOH-SAM) and amine-terminated (NH2-SAM) SAM surfaces. We observed efficient neutralization of soft-landed ions on the COOH-SAM surface, partial retention of only one proton on the HSAM surface and efficient retention of two protons on the FSAM surface. Slow desorption rates measured experimentally indicate fairly strong binding between peptide molecules and SAM surfaces with the binding energy of 20-25 kcal/mol.

Hu Q, P Wang, PL Gassman, and J Laskin. 2009. "In situ Studies of Soft- and Reactive Landing of Mass-Selected Ions Using Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy." Analytical Chemistry 81(17):7302-7308. doi:10.1021/ac901149s Abstract Grazing incidence infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) for in situ and in real time characterization of substrates modified by soft- and reactive landing (SL and RL) of complex ions was implemented on a mass-selected ion deposition instrument. Ions produced by electrospray ionization were mass-selected using a quadrupole mass filter and deposited onto inert and reactive self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces. Surface composition during and after ion deposition was monitored using IRRAS. Physisorption of a cyclic peptide, Garmicidin S (GS), was studied for 8 hrs during deposition and additional 12 hrs after the end of deposition. The integrated signal of the characteristic amide bands followed a linear increase during the deposition and stayed unchanged after the deposition was finished. Similar linear increase in IRRAS signal was obtained following reactive deposition of the protonated dodecanediamine onto SAMs of dithiobis (succinimidyl undecanoate) (NHS-SAM) and 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid fluoride (COF-SAM) on gold. IRRAS allowed us to monitor for the first time the formation of the amide bond between reactive SAM surfaces and the projectile molecule.

Laskin A, JS Smith, and J Laskin. 2009. "Molecular Characterization of Nitrogen Containing Organic Compounds in Biomass Burning Aerosols Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry." Environmental Science & Technology 43(10):3764-3771. doi:10.1021/es803456n Abstract Although nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOC) are important components of atmospheric aerosols, little is known about their chemical compositions. Here we present detailed characterization of the NOC constituents of biomass burning aerosol (BBA) samples using high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS). Accurate mass measurements combined with MS/MS fragmentation experiments of selected ions were used to assign molecular structures to individual NOC species. Our results indicate that N-heterocyclic alkaloid compounds - species naturally produced by plants and living organisms - comprise a substantial fraction of NOC in BBA samples collected from test burns of five biomass fuels. High abundance of alkaloids in test burns of ponderosa pine - a widespread tree in the western U.S. areas frequently affected by large scale fires - suggests that N-heterocyclic alkaloids in BBA can play a significant role in dry and wet deposition of fixed nitrogen in this region.

Siu CK, J Zhao, J Laskin, IK Chu, AC Hopkinson, and KWM Siu . 2009. "Kinetics for Tautomerizations and Dissociations of Triglycine Radical Cations." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 20(6):996-1005. Abstract Fragmentations of tautomers of the α-centered radical triglycine radical cation, [GGG*]+, [GG*G]+, and [G*GG]+, are charge-driven, giving b-type ions; these are processes that are facilitated by a mobile proton, as in the fragmentation of protonated triglycine (Rodriquez, C.F. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 3006 - 3012). By contrast, radical centers are less mobile. Two mechanisms have been examined theoretically utilizing density functional theory and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus modeling: (1) a direct hydrogen-atom migration between two α-carbons, and (2) a two-step proton migration involving a canonical [GGG]*+ as an intermediate. Predictions employing the latter mechanism are in good agreement with results of recent CID experiments (Chu, I.K. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 7862 - 7872).

Smith JS, A Laskin, and J Laskin. 2009. "Molecular Characterization of Biomass Burning Aerosols Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry." Analytical Chemistry 81(4):1512-1521. doi:10.1021/ac8020664 Abstract Chemical characterizations of atmospheric aerosols is a serious analytical challenge because of the complexity of particulate matter analyte composed of a large number of compounds with a wide range of molecular structures, physico-chemical properties, and reactivity. In this study chemical composition of biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA) samples is characterized by high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS). Accurate mass measurement combined with Kendrick analysis allowed us to assign elemental composition for hundreds of compounds in the range of m/z values of 50-1000. ESI/MS spectra of different BBOA samples contain a variety of distinct, sample specific, characteristic peaks that can be used as unique markers for different types of biofuels. Our results indicate that a significant number of high-MW organic compounds in BBOA samples are highly oxidized polar species that can be efficiently detected using ESI/MS but are difficult to observe using the conventional GCMS analysis of aerosol samples. The average O:C ratios obtained for each of the BBOA samples studied in this work are in a strikingly good agreement with the previously reported values obtained using STXM/NEXAFS. The degree of unsaturation of detected organic compounds shows a clear decrease with increase in the molecular weight of the anyalyte molecules. The decrease is particularly pronounced for the samples containing a large number of CH2-based homologous series.

Song T, C Lam, DC Ng, G Orlova, J Laskin, DC Fang, and IK Chu. 2009. "Experimental and Computational Studies of the Macrocyclic Effect of an Auxiliary Ligand on Electron and Proton Transfers Within Ternary Copper(II)–Histidine Complexes ." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 20(6):972-984. Abstract The dissociation of [CuII(L)His]•2+ complexes [L = diethylenetriamine (dien) or 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (9-aneN3)] bears a strong resemblance to the previously reported behavior of [CuII(L)GGH]•2+ complexes. We have used low energy collision-induced dissociation experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level to study the macrocyclic effect of the auxiliary ligands on the formation of His•+ from prototypical [CuII(L)His]•2+ systems. DFT revealed that the relative energy barriers of the same electron transfer (ET) dissociation pathways of [CuII(9-aneN3)His]•2+ and [CuII(dien)His]•2+ are very similar, with the ET reactions of [CuII(9-aneN3)His]•2+ leading to the generation of two distinct His•+ species; in contrast, the proton transfer (PT) dissociation pathways of [CuII(9-aneN3)His]•2+ and [CuII(dien)His]•2+ differ considerably. The PT reactions of [CuII(9-aneN3)His]•2+ are associated with substantially higher barriers (>13 kcal/mol) than those of [CuII(dien)His]•2+. Thus, the sterically encumbered auxiliary 9-aneN3 ligand facilitates ET reactions while moderating PT reactions, allowing the formation of hitherto non-observable histidine radical cations.

Spraggins JM, JA Lloyd, MV Johnston, J Laskin, and DP Ridge. 2009. "Fragmentation Mechanisms of Oxidized Peptides Elucidated by SID, RRKM Modeling and Molecular Dynamics." Journal of the American Chemical Society 20(9):1579-1592. doi:10.1016/j.jasms.2009.04.012 Abstract The gas phase fragmentation reactions of singly charged angiotensin II (AngII, DRVYIHPF) and the ozonolysis products AngII+O (DRVY*IHPF), AngII+3O (DRVYIH*PF), and AngII+4O (DRVY*IH*PF) were studied using SID FT-ICR mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics. Oxidation of Tyr (AngII+O) leads to an additional low-energy charge-remote selective fragmentation channel resulting in the b4 fragment ion. Modification of His leads to a series of new selective dissociation channels. For AngII+3O and AngII+4O, the formation of [MH+3O]+-45 and [MH+3O]+-71 are driven by charge-remote processes while it is suggested that the b5 and [MH+3O]+-88 fragments are a result of charge-directed reactions. Energy-resolved SID experiments and RRKM modeling were able to provide insight into the energetics of the lowest energy fragmentation channel for each of the parent ions. Destabilization of the ozonolysis products was found to be strictly due to entropic effects. Mechanistic details for each of the new dissociation pathways were determined by relating the SID FT-ICR MS results to parent ion conformations samples using molecular dynamics.

Yang Z, ER Vorpagel, and J Laskin. 2009. "Influence of the Charge State on the Structures and Interactions of Vancomycin Antibiotics with Cell-Wall Analogue Peptides: Experimental and Theoretical Studies." Chemistry - a European Journal 15(9):2081-2090. doi:10.1002/chem.200802010 Abstract In this study we examined the effect of the charge state on the energetics and dynamics of dissociation of the non-covalent complex between the vancomycin and the cell wall peptide analogue Nα,Nε-diacetyl-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala (V-Ac2KDADA). The binding energies between the vancomycin and the peptide were obtained from the RRKM modeling of the time- and energy resolved surface-induced dissociation (SID) experiments. Our results demonstrate that the stability of the complex toward fragmentation increases in the order: [V+Ac2KDADA+H]+2 < [V+Ac2KDADA+H]+ < [V+Ac2KDADA-H]-. Dissociation of the singly protonated and singly deprotonated complex is characterized by very large entropy effects indicating substantial increase in the conformational flexibility of the resulting products. The experimental threshold energies of 1.75 eV and 1.34 eV obtained for the [V+Ac2KDADA-H]- and [V+Ac2KDADA+H]+ , respectively, are in excellent agreement with the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The increased stability of the deprotonated complex observed experimentally is attributed to the presence of three charged sites in the deprotonated complex as compared to only one charged site in the singly protonated complex. The low binding energy of 0.93 eV obtained for the doubly protonated complex suggests that this ion is destabilized by Coulomb repulsion between the singly protonated vancomycin and the singly protonated peptide comprising the complex.

Bateman AP, ML Walser, Y Dessiaterik, J Laskin, A Laskin, and S Nizkorodov. 2008. "The Effect of Solvent on the Analysis of Secondary Organic Aerosol Using Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry." Environmental Science & Technology 42(19):7341-7346. doi:10.1021/es801226w Abstract Solvent-analyte reactions in organic aerosol (OA) extracts prepared for analysis by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) were examined. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced by ozonation of d-limonene as well as several test organic chemicals with functional groups typical for OA constituents were dissolved and stored in methanol, d3-methanol, acetonitrile, and d3-acetonitrile to investigate the extent and relative rates of reactions between analyte and solvent. High resolution ESI-MS showed that reactions of carbonyls with methanol produce significant amounts of hemiacetals and acetals on time scales ranging from several minutes to several days, with the reaction rates increasing in acidified solutions. Carboxylic acid groups were observed to react with methanol resulting in the formation of esters. In contrast, acetonitrile extracts showed no evidence of reactions with analyte molecules, suggesting that acetonitrile is the preferred solvent for SOA extraction. The use of solvent-analyte reactivity as an analytical chemistry tool for the improved characterization of functional groups in complex organic mixtures was also demonstrated. Direct comparison between ESI mass spectra of the same SOA samples extracted in reactive (methanol) versus non-reactive (acetonitrile) solvents was used to estimate the relative fractions of ketones (38%), aldehydes (6%), and carboxylic acids (55%) in d-limonene SOA.