In this study, we used secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry assisted by an ion funnel (IF) operating at ambient pressure to find compounds in the mass range of 100-500 m/z in online breath fingerprinting experiments. In low-resolution experiments conducted on an ion trap instrument, we found that pyridine is present in breath of individuals long after drinking coffee. In high-resolution experiments conducted on a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, we found more than 30 compounds in the mass range of 100-500 m/z in analogous online breath experiments. More than a third of these compounds have molecular weights above 200 Daltons and have not been mentioned in previous studies. In low-resolution experiments as well as experiments without the IF, these compounds could not be detected.
Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.