Ion mobility (IM) has been increasingly used in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) for chemical and biological analysis. While implementation of IM with MS usually requires complex instrumentation with delicate controls, in this study we explored the potential of performing IM separation using dual-linear ion traps (LITs) in a miniature mass spectrometer, which was originally developed for performing comprehensive MS/MS scan functions with a simple instrumentation configuration. The IM separation was achieved by ion transfer between the LITs with dynamic gas flow. Its performance was characterized for analysis of a broad range of chemical and biological compounds including small organic compounds such as trisaccharides, raffinose, cellotriose, and melezitose, as well as protein conformers. The demonstrated technique serves as another example of developing powerful hybrid instrument functions with simple configurations and miniaturized sizes.

Elucidation of complex structures of biomolecules plays a key role in the field of chemistry and life sciences. In the past decade, ion mobility, by coupling with mass spectrometry, has become a unique tool for distinguishing isomers and isoforms of biomolecules. In this study, we develop a concept for performing ion mobility analysis using an ion trap, which enables isomer separation under ultra-high fields to achieve super high resolutions over 10,000. The potential of this technology has been demonstrated for analysis of isomers for biomolecules including disaccharides, phospholipids, and peptides with post-translational modifications.