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Topic summary

Counter-ion content and its effect on measured mass

This is a generated summary. It shows the 9 most-liked posts from a topic of 109, in their original order, with the accepted answer included where one exists. It is a reading aid and it will miss nuance — the full topic is the record.
ID
il.dumitruTL2 Moderator19 Mar 2025 · edited#3

Thank you for the correction. I have edited my earlier post with a note rather than silently, so the thread still makes sense to read. The error was mine and it was the kind that comes from remembering a figure instead of looking it up.

28 likes 16mo
NZ
n.zielinskiTL2 Moderator Solution1 Apr 2025#9

For anyone arriving from a search: the marked solution above is the direct answer, and the replies underneath it add the caveats that make it safe to use.

13 likes 16mo
EM
e.mensaTL2 Moderator8 Apr 2025#13
BBramley, post #12: post #11 answers the question as asked. The question underneath it is different. Desalting before analysis: some samples need desalting to remove salts that suppress the peptide signal. Report whether desalting was used, because it can affect the apparent ionization efficiency and the reported purity. Go to post

Coming back to post #11, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer.

Mass accuracy is expressed in parts per million. It is the difference between observed and theoretical mass divided by theoretical mass, multiplied by a million. A high-resolution instrument in good calibration achieves low single-digit ppm on a peptide of this size.

30 likes in reply to #12 16mo
OA
o.abrahamsenTL3Regular13 May 2025#38

post #37 is right about the mechanism and I think understates the practical bit.

Mass accuracy is expressed in parts per million. It is the difference between observed and theoretical mass divided by theoretical mass, multiplied by a million. A high-resolution instrument in good calibration achieves low single-digit ppm on a peptide of this size.

31 likes 15mo
MA
mi.amankwahTL2 Moderator23 May 2025#46
lyophil_margin, post #22: Common adducts: sodium adds ≈22, potassium adds ≈38 compared to hydrogen. A [M+Na]+ peak is common and its mass is predictable from the base mass. Go to post

Electrospray ionisation produces multiply charged ions. For a 4 kDa peptide you expect mostly 2+, 3+, and 4+ charge states. Reading an electrospray spectrum means recognizing the envelope, not looking for one peak.

29 likes in reply to #22 14mo
GT
g.tammTL2 Moderator29 Jun 2025#78

I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.

The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.

32 likes 13mo
DB
d.bramleyTL3Regular9 Jul 2025#87

post #86 is right about the mechanism and I think understates the practical bit.

Mass accuracy is expressed in parts per million. It is the difference between observed and theoretical mass divided by theoretical mass, multiplied by a million. A high-resolution instrument in good calibration achieves low single-digit ppm on a peptide of this size.

32 likes 13mo
FI
f.ibarraTL2 Moderator17 Jul 2025#94
ai.wikstrom, post #50: Common adducts: sodium adds ≈22, potassium adds ≈38 compared to hydrogen. A [M+Na]+ peak is common and its mass is predictable from the base mass. Go to post

Picking up post #91: that is the part I would want checked first.

Charge states observed: for semaglutide (4113.6 Da) the doubly charged ion appears at m/z ≈ 2057, triply charged at ≈ 1371, quadruply at ≈ 1029. Those are the positions to look for; the heights depend on the ionization efficiency.

30 likes in reply to #50 12mo
JM
j.mwangiTL4 Moderator25 Jul 2025#102
Staff post. Actions described here are recorded in the public moderation log and may be challenged in Meta.

Electrospray ionisation produces multiply charged ions. For a 4 kDa peptide you expect mostly 2+, 3+, and 4+ charge states. Reading an electrospray spectrum means recognizing the envelope, not looking for one peak.

30 likes 12mo

Read the full topic (109 posts)

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