Fundamentals and Advances of Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

Analytical chemistry has considerably benefited from the developments in the field of mass spectrometry. The high resolution, mass accuracy, and sensitivity offered by modern mass spectrometers have been essential in addressing analytical needs in numerous areas of research as well as in routine laboratory praxis. The most recent addition to the family of mass spectrometers has been the Orbitrap analyzer, making an ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry accessible to most life science laboratories. The Orbitrap-based instrumentation has established itself firmly in the field of proteomics, metabolomics, and metabolite analysis. Moreover, it is gaining increased popularity also in areas of bioanalysis, lipidomics, doping, as well as in drug and pesticide residue analysis. This article presents the principle of operation of the Orbitrap analyzer, its most recent technological developments, and outlook, and it reviews application areas where the Orbitrap analyzers represent the state-of-the-art solution to a multitude of analytical needs.