Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (MS) / Quadrupole Mass Analyzer

Quadrupole mass spectrometers are perhaps the simplest of mass spec instruments. Functioning effectively like a radio, the quadrupole MS – so-named because of its four charged rods, which run parallel to the flight paths of the ions it measures – filter ions by mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) by altering the voltages in the rods. Quadrupole mass spectrometers are available in a variety of formats, including a single quadrupole mass spectrometer, a triple quadrupole MS (three quadrupoles arranged in tandem), and a Q-TOF (a triple quad variant in which the third quadrupole is replaced with a time-of-flight mass analyzer).

Quadrupole mass analyzers are often used for targeted, quantitative applications and can be used either to measure one or a few given ions in a mixture, or to scan across a range of m/z values. Depending on the configuration, they can facilitate both MS and MS/MS applications. For instance, in a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, you can select ions for analysis in the first quadrupole, fragment them by collision with a gas in the second quadrupole, and analyze the resulting fragmentation ions in the third quadrupole.

Find, compare, and request a quote for quadrupole mass spectrometers across leading suppliers at Labcompare; including access to product citations, related published figures, and first-hand reviews from our scientific community.

CompanyShimadzuShimadzuShimadzuShimadzu
ItemLCMS-2020 Single Quadrupole Mass SpectrometerGCMS-QP2020 NX Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS)LCMS-8050RX Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS Mass SpectrometerLCMS-8060RX Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS Mass Spectrometer
Citations
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Catalog NumberLCMS-2020GCMS-QP2020 NXLCMS-8050RXLCMS-8060RX
Price
Ionization Method(s)ESI, APCI, Dual IonizationEI, CI, NCIESI, APCI, Dual Ionization, Micro-ESIESI, APCI, Dual Ionization, Micro-ESI
Mass AnalyzerSingle QuadrupoleMetal quadrupole with pre-rodQ1 & Q3 are molybdenum hyperbolic mass filters with pre-rods; Q1 includes post-rodsQ1 & Q3 are molybdenum hyperbolic mass filters with pre-rods; Q1 includes post-rods
Scanning Speed15,000 u/sec20,000 u/sec30,000 u/secMax. 30,000 u/sec (in all scan modes) (0.1 u step: 300,000 data points/sec)
Mass Rangem/z 10 to 20001.5 to 1090 m/z2 to 2000 m/zm/z 2 to 2,000
DescriptionUtilizing patented ultrafast (UF) technology, the LCMS-2020 mass spectrometer offers fast measurements and outstanding detection sensitivity for quicker and more accurate detection of trace impurities in a variety of applications.

Features
  • Ultrafast scanning speed of 15,000 u/sec, without
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Adopting a proprietary multi-function ion source and a new large-capacity turbomolecular pump with heightened exhaust efficiency for all carrier gases including nitrogen, the rugged, high-sensitivity GCMS-QP2020 NX elevates GCMS performance to a new level. New Quick-CI and Smart SIM functionality ... Read MoreIncorporating Shimadzu’s proprietary ultrafast technologies (UF Technologies), the triple quadrupole LCMS-8050RX offers outstanding measurement speeds and quantitative performance.
Specific and highly sensitive Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) multi-component analysis is improved with a heated
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The triple quad LCMS-8060RX utilizes proprietary technologies and more efficient ion transfer to achieve outstanding speed and sensitivity.
A heat-assisted electrospray ionization probe delivers a highly efficient desolvation process that promotes the ionization of a wide range of target compounds
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