ARS | Publication request: Rapid Characterization of Polyalcohols by Silylation and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Submitted to: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 4, 2007
Publication Date: November 16, 2007
Citation: Adeuya, A., Price, N.P. 2007. Rapid characterization of polyalcohols by silylation and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 21:3977-3981.

Interpretive Summary: Polyalcohols such as mannitol and xylitol are very valuable to the food industry, including use as sugar alternatives. These sugar alcohols are currently being characterized by time consuming analytical methods. We report a new rapid method of analysis that identifies a polyalcohol by its number of hydroxyl functional group. This information will be useful for researchers in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Technical Abstract: A method for rapid enumerating hydroxyl groups in analytes is described and applied to common polyalcohols (erythritol, mannitol, and xylitol). Polyalcohols were derivatized with trimethylsilylimidazole (TMSI) either separately or as mixtures, and were analyzed without chromatographic separation or purification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The mass spectra revealed consecutive peaks that are separated by 72 mass units as a consequence of displacement of one hydroxyl proton by one TMS group. The number of observed peaks was used to confirm the number of hydroxyl groups in each analyte.