The Universal Trace Gas Analyser

Kr+ available as reagent ion with PTR-MS for the first time - nearly all volatile substances can be detected in low concentrations and online.

IONICON (Austria) is presenting the new SRI+ (Switchable Reagent Ions – Plus) feature where Kr+ and Xe+ can be used as precursor ions for chemical ionisation of samples in a PTR-MS instrument for the first time (patent pending). Kr+ has an ionisation potential of close to 14 eV and therefore nearly all volatile substances can be ionised and detected in an IONICON PTR-MS instrument equipped with the new SRI+ option.

The new generation of universal real-time trace gas analysers from IONICON combines known benefits of soft ionisation via Proton-Transfer-Reactions (PTR) with Charge-Transfer-Reactions (CTR) technology (CTR-MS).

IONICON recently launched the SRI (Switchable Reagent Ions) feature where besides H3O+, the reagent ions NO+ and O2+ are available as an option in combination with PTR-MS.

Now, as the next revolutionary development, IONICON presents the SRI+ feature where Kr+ and Xe+ can be used for CTR ionisation, possessing higher ionisation energies (Kr+ in particular) than common air constituents. With this option an IONICON instrument analyses nearly all volatile substance classes.

IONICON CEO Lukas MÄRK explains the rationale behind the development: “PTR-MS has always been one of the most sensitive online mass spectrometry technologies for VOCs measurements and since the launch of SRI we received a lot of positive feedback from the community for this option. In an effort to further increase the versatility of our instruments we continued to invest in ionisation technologies and with SRI and now SRI+, our instruments are covering nearly all volatile substance classes as a universal trace gas analyser.”

SRI and SRI+ options are available for all new IONICON PTR-MS instruments and for most existing systems as upgrades.