A triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, also known as QqQ, is a tandem MS method in which the first and third quadrupoles act as mass filters and the second causes fragmentation of the analyte through interaction with a collision gas—it is a radiofrequency-only quadrupole, and can be used in either SIM or scan mode. The method can be used to obtain structural information or for quantitation. For structural mass spec, a common sequence is product ion scan, precursor ion scan, and neutral loss scan, followed by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) or multiple reaction monitoring (MRM).
Increased selectivity, improved S/N, lower limits of quantitation, wider linear range, and improved accuracy are some of the benefits of this technique, which encompasses triple-quad LC-MS, GC-MS, GC-MSD, and ICP-MS. Although QqQ is a particularly useful method for all stages of pharmaceutical development, it is a reliable option for many applications, such as clinical research, food safety, forensics, environmental, and proteomics.
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