Thread: Mass Spectrometry

Hi all,

I am trying to learn more about calibration of ESI instruments and i am confused and stuck on a few facts.


From a book called Analytical Method Validation and Instrument Performance Verification, Edited by Chung Chow Chan, Herman Lam, Y. C. Lee, and Xue-Ming Zhang.


It says that "The right calibrants for LC-ESI-MS should (1) not give memory effects; (2) not cause source contamination through the introduction of nonvolatile material; (3) be applicable in both positive- and negative-ion mode."


However what is the difference between memory effects and source contamination? From what i have gathered source contamination is one of the reasons of memory effect and they should be the same am i right to say so?

Hi PhDemon,

Thanks for helping me out . For cases where the calibrant is "sticky" and difficult to remove from the column / require more than reasonable amount of rinse time, is there a term for such calibrants?

If i rephrase the statement to say "The right calibrants for LC-ESI-MS should (1) not be "sticky" resulting in memory effects; (2) not cause source contamination through the introduction of nonvolatile material; (3) be applicable in both positive- and negative-ion mode."

Would it be more correct?

Allright! Thanks so much!