Electrostatic spray ionization of uL volume for IMS

Hi Shyam,

if you want to simply ionise the gas in your chamber you need a needle like conductive point (most use tungsten but this erodes after days or weeks of operation) and put this needle to -4.5 kilovolts with respect to the walls of the chamber.

The isolation may be tricky but can be done in the same way as in high voltage vacuum equipment: lengthening the path between two potentials.

I would try a sharp pin of semiconducting diamond if prolonged life is essential.

If you want to spray liqid small droplets this is much more complicated and limited to a narrow droplet size. This can be done with pure electrostatic action. In commercial paint spraying something else is producing the droplets (centrifugal force at the sharp rim of a high speed rotor) and electrostatic forces are added to transport the sprayed droplets to the target surface.

Why not use the classical electron beam used in hot filament ionisers for vacuum pressure and gas analysis measurements?

RHABE

Dear Rhabe

Using 4-6kV is OK for me. I have that. I need this for portable IMS. I will also think about liquid converting into droplets like it is done in inkjet printers.