Extend m/z Range of External Ion Injection Into Ion Trap/TOFMS: SIMION Analysis

ABSTRACT Ion trap usually serves as a TOF pusher region in ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (IT/TOF), achieving benefits of high duty cycle, MS/MS capability, and high mass resolution. While a short ion trap rod length improves TOF resolution, it limits the mass range in coaxial IT/TOF. Through a computational study based on SIMION simulations, this work systematically investigates the influence of geometric parameters (trap rod length) and voltage parameters (bias DC voltage, end‐cap electrode voltage) on the mass range of coaxial IT‐TOF systems. By optimizing length of trap rod, over 90% injection efficiency was achieved within a m/z 400–1400 without sacrificing mass resolution. By implementing DC bias voltage adjustments for low‐m/z ions and step voltage optimization on end‐cap electrodes for high‐ m/z ions, the simulated mass range is extended to m/z 200–1400 with minimal mass discrimination. All above these findings are derived solely from simulation analysis.