Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry (IM-MS)
摘要
Determining glycan chemical structures is fundamental to understanding their biological functions. However, structural elucidation by mass spectrometry (MS) is often complicated by isomeric diversity and microheterogeneity. Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) has emerged as a powerful complementary approach for resolving and identifying glycan isomers by providing an additional dimension of separation based on collision cross section (CCS). Despite its considerable potential, available IM-MS datasets, particularly CCS values for glycans, remain limited. Integration of IM-MS into standalone MS or LC-MS platforms enhances analytical throughput and improves confidence in structural assignments. Ultimately, systematic comparison of experimental CCS values with comprehensive reference databases will enable more reliable discrimination of glycan isomers and facilitate efficient characterization of structurally complex glycans.