ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.77
Anton N Kozhinov, Konstantin O Nagornov, Yury O Tsybin
{"title":"High-Performance Data Acquisition for Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry.","authors":"Anton N Kozhinov, Konstantin O Nagornov, Yury O Tsybin","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.77","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.77","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High-performance data acquisition and processing (DAQ) systems are characterized by their ability to capture, process, and transmit data with high speed, precision, and efficiency. Among commercial solutions for Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS), the FTMS Boosters developed by Spectroswiss stand out. These systems enhance the capabilities of FTMS platforms, such as Orbitrap and ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) instruments, by improving mass resolution, sensitivity, and data handling. This review highlights the impact of FTMS Boosters across six key applications: mass spectrometry imaging, charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) and charge determination analysis (CHARDA), biopharmaceutical analysis, isotope ratio and trace analyses, super-resolution mass spectrometry, and complex mixture analysis. By advancing FTMS capabilities, FTMS Boosters not only elevate performance but also extend the operational lifespan of legacy FTMS systems, offering a sustainable and cost-effective path to improved MS functionality. As FTMS technologies advance with an increasing focus on acquiring and processing big data, FTMS Boosters, and other high-performance DAQ systems are set to become indispensable in addressing the growing demands of data-intensive scientific research and applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"77-83"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.7
Eric Bakker
{"title":"Improving Robustness, Sensitivity and Simplicity of Potentiometric Sensors Through Symmetry and Conceptual Design.","authors":"Eric Bakker","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p> It is an enormous challenge to bring chemical sensing concepts from a controlled laboratory setting into the field while maintaining accuracy. In an environment of uncontrolled, fluctuating temperatures and a lack of repeated calibration, sensor reliability can rapidly deteriorate the accuracy. Today, many sensing concepts are explored for home use or as wearable sensors, and it is paramount to understand and optimize the chemistry for reliable measurements to become possible. This review focuses on the well-established class of potentiometric sensors, mostly known for the measurement of pH, with a range of electrolytes, and how conceptual advances can be used to make them as robust and sensitive as possible. While drawing from recent work of the group at the University of Geneva, the importance of symmetry is stressed to minimize the influence of temperature. The development of self-powered sensing systems that no longer require a battery is explained. This is then connected to protocols in which the sensitivity of these sensors can be reliably improved beyond that dictated by the Nernst equation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"7-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.25
Samuel Menzi, Fabio La Mattina, Francesco Barbato, Yunieski Arbelo Pena, Sven Augustin, Gregor Knopp, Marcello Coreno, Stefano Orlando, Monica De Simone, Paolo Miotti, Fabio Frassetto, Luca Poletto, Davide Bleiner, Claudio Cirelli
{"title":"Extending Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering to Extreme Ultraviolet.","authors":"Samuel Menzi, Fabio La Mattina, Francesco Barbato, Yunieski Arbelo Pena, Sven Augustin, Gregor Knopp, Marcello Coreno, Stefano Orlando, Monica De Simone, Paolo Miotti, Fabio Frassetto, Luca Poletto, Davide Bleiner, Claudio Cirelli","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We present α-Al2O3 XAS, XES and RIXS measurements across the Al L2/L3 edges at about 79 eV excitation energy. In the emission spectra, we identify two fluorescence peaks, corresponding to electronic transitions into the 2p core hole from mixed states of Al 3s and Al 3d character, both mixed with O 2p orbitals. Even if the XAS spectrum shows more than one resonance, surprisingly only one clear RIXS signal with energy loss equal to 10.7 eV is present in the data. Nevertheless, this allows us to tentatively extract from the measured high-resolution data the linewidths for fluorescence and RIXS transitions, with the latter being almost a factor of two smaller than the former.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"25-28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.66
Luc Patiny
{"title":"Unlocking the Potential of Browser- Based Scientific Data Analysis: A 20-Year Journey of Expertise.","authors":"Luc Patiny","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.66","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.66","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The browser has become an indispensable tool for a variety of everyday tasks, yet its potential in scientific data processing remains underexplored and is often perceived as slow. This paper presents four examples of advanced web applications that we have developed during the last 20 years and demonstrates the browser's ability to compete with traditionally installed software. These applications were made possible through the development of over 100 open-source libraries, extending the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles to include not only data but also software.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"66-69"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.70
Andreas Riedo, Nikita J Boeren, Peter Keresztes Schmidt, Marek Tulej, Peter Wurz
{"title":"Life Detection Beyond Earth: Laser-Based Mass Spectrometry for Organics Detection on Solar System Objects.","authors":"Andreas Riedo, Nikita J Boeren, Peter Keresztes Schmidt, Marek Tulej, Peter Wurz","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.70","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.70","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The detection and identification of the building blocks of life, from amino acids to more complex molecules such as certain lipids, is a crucial but highly challenging task for current and future space exploration missions in our Solar System. To date, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry has been the main technology applied. Although it has shown excellent performance in laboratory research, it has not yet been able to provide a conclusive answer regarding the presence or absence of a signature of life, extinct or extant, in space exploration. In this contribution we present the current measurement capabilities of our space prototype laser-based mass spectrometer for organics detection. The developed mass spectrometer currently allows the detection and identification of small organic molecules, such as amino acids and nucleobases, at sample concentrations at the level of femtomole mm-2, using the same measurement protocol. The latter is highly relevant to space exploration, since with the instrumentation in use so far only one class of organics can be measured with one instrument configuration.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"70-76"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The openBIS Digital Platform for Instrumentation and Data Workflow in the Analytical Laboratory.","authors":"Yousuf Hemani, Kilian Koch, Oscar Mendo-Diaz, Anusch Bachhofner, Simone Baffelli, Davide Bleiner","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.36","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.36","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The management of scientific data plays a key role in all research areas and has increased in importance. Providing researchers with customizable data management tools is crucial for effectively managing data according to the FAIR principles. These principles have been defined by Wilkinson et al. in 2016, which describe how scientific data should be managed.[1] To support the specific needs of researchers at Empa, openBIS[2] was chosen as a FAIR compliant data management platform. OpenBIS is an Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) and Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) developed at ETH. The commissioning of this platform for the case of an analytical chemistry lab presented multiple challenges. In this paper, solutions to adapt openBIS as a digital platform to integrate the laboratory data workflow in chemical analysis and for spectroscopy instruments are presented. Two laboratory projects as case studies are described, consisting of a data pipeline and a complex dashboard for data collection, visualization and interaction. These examples show a successful integration of the data management platform in accordance with the FAIR data guidelines along with maximizing efficiency for laboratory personnel.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"36-45"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advancements in Nanoscale Chemical Analysis using Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.","authors":"Siiri Bienz, Chengcheng Xu, Yuanzhi Xia, Anushree Dutta, Renato Zenobi, Naresh Kumar","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.52","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.52","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) has established itself as a powerful tool in nanoscale chemical analysis, providing unprecedented spatial resolution with high molecular sensitivity and chemical specificity. TERS employs localized surface plasmon resonance at the apex of a sharp scanning probe microscopy tip to overcome the diffraction limit inherent in conventional Raman spectroscopy, achieving spatial resolutions down to the nanometer scale. In this article, we highlight major advancements in TERS over the past five years from our laboratory at ETH Zurich in the following key areas: heterogeneous catalysis, photovoltaic materials, biological membranes, and on-surface molecular assembly. Our recent studies demonstrate the unique capabilities of TERS for in situmonitoring of catalytic reactions, nanoscale mapping of phase behavior in biomembranes, and precise characterization of photovoltaic interfaces. Through these applications, we highlight the potential of TERS for addressing critical challenges across the chemical, biological, and materials sciences. This review serves as a guide for researchers aiming to harness TERS for label-free, non-destructive nanoanalysis to advance understanding of complex molecular materials and processes through ultrahigh sensitivity, specificity, and spatial resolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"52-59"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.12
Andreas Baumeister, Lyna Sellami, Shuichi Nakaya
{"title":"Miniaturization of MALDI Mass Spectrometers with the Technological Breakthrough of the Digital Ion Trap: Peptide and Protein Analysis in MS<sup>1</sup>, MS<sup>2,</sup> and MS<sup>3</sup>.","authors":"Andreas Baumeister, Lyna Sellami, Shuichi Nakaya","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.12","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A digital ion trap (DIT) mass spectrometer was developed to extend the mass range in comparison to conventional ion traps. This was achieved by changing the RF voltage from a sinusoidal to a rectangular waveform. In addition to the extended mass range, the size of the instrument was miniaturized. To show the benefits of this development, MALDI applications in MS1, MS2, and MS3 are presented: On one hand, it is possible to analyze intact proteins, on the other hand the instrument enables insights into the structure of antibodies and glycoproteins after enzymatic digestion and collision-induced dissociation (CID).</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"12-17"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.18
Yun Zhang, Chan Cao
{"title":"Aerolysin Nanopores for Single-Molecule Analysis.","authors":"Yun Zhang, Chan Cao","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.18","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biological nanopores have become powerful tools for single-molecule analysis in many fields, including metal ion detection, single-molecule chemistry, polymer size discrimination, nucleic acid sequencing, and protein/peptide/glycan analysis. Among all biological nanopores, aerolysin is considered one of the most promising nanopores for analytical applications. It is a heptameric β-barrel pore-forming toxin (β-PFT) secreted by Aeromonas, featuring a narrow, elongated β-barrel lumen composed of highly charged amino acids. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of biological nanopores in molecular sensing, sequencing, and their applications in solving biophysical questions, with a focus on aerolysin nanopores.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"18-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChimiaPub Date : 2025-02-26DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2025.84
Jasim Hassen, Jack Silver
{"title":"Mössbauer Spectroscopy as a Valuable Analysis Technique in Biomedical Research.","authors":"Jasim Hassen, Jack Silver","doi":"10.2533/chimia.2025.84","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2025.84","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mössbauer spectroscopy is an effective technique used to examine the iron atom electronic environments in both biomolecular molecules and whole animal studies. Because of its sensitivity to nuclear hyperfine interactions, this technique yields incredibly accurate data regarding the electronic and magnetic states of nuclei, chemical bonds, and the local electronic environment structure around iron atoms. This review demonstrates how Mössbauer spectroscopy contributes to biomedical sciences. The use of Mössbauer spectroscopy in the fields of general biology is discussed, as well as studies that included bacterial analyses, studies related to protein materials, and pharmaceutical studies. In addition, although beyond the scope of this review, the use of Mössbauer spectroscopy to study model compounds to aid in understanding the iron proteins is briefly referred to.</p>","PeriodicalId":9957,"journal":{"name":"Chimia","volume":"79 1-2","pages":"84-92"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}