FT-ICR MS analysis of asphaltenes: Asphaltenes go in, fullerenes come out

CATEGORY: ASPHALTENE 
FT-ICR MS analysis of asphaltenes: Asphaltenes go in, fullerenes come out

Type	Journal Article
Author	Thieres M. C. Pereira
Author	Gabriela Vanini
URL	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016236114003706
Volume	131
Pages	49-58
Publication	Fuel
Date	September 1, 2014
Abstract	Asphaltenes analysis is difficult because of their unknown molecular structure and self-associative behavior. Researchers conducted FT-ICR MS analyses using five different ionization methods, ESI, APCI, APPI, LDI and MALDI, in both positive and negative mode. They noted a characteristic and typical behavior for the experiments using LDI(±) and MALDI(±)FT-ICR analyses: a broadband mass spectrum ranging from m/z 500 to 3000 was observed with a 24 Da interval. They attributed the phenomenon to fullerene cluster formation. Results suggest a clustering of asphaltenes in the LDI/MALDI plume, which showed a highly dependency on the laser power density. The dispersion of LDI results on carbonaceus samples in the literature is associated with the lack of control of these parameters. However, to access the sample composition, APPI and APCI should be more suitable.