Imagine a detective capable of analyzing a complex mixture and identifying thousands of molecules in it at once.

This detective is Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR). It's an ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry "analyzer." This analytical technique allows the detection and characterization of molecules in a sample by measuring their mass, even if they are mixed and present in very small quantities. 

• Step 1 – Ionization : it consists of electrically charging the molecules (ions) of the sample, in the gaseous phase in order to be able to manipulate them, this is ionization. 
• Step 2 – Trapping The ions are then trapped at the center of an FT-ICR cell by electric and magnetic fields. Under the influence of the magnetic field, the ions spin (or rather, undergo uniform circular motion), but not all at the same rate! Their rotational frequency is inversely proportional to their mass-to-charge ratio (denoted by m/z). All ions of the same mass will therefore rotate at the same cyclotron frequency.
• Step 3 excitation by an electric fieldomagnetic and detection In the FT-ICR cell, ions are excited by electromagnetism (radio frequency), which increases the radius of their trajectory. They then pass near detection plates and create a small electrical current, like a "wave" (with a frequency). This current is actually a mixture of several different "waves," each corresponding to the specific mass of an ion. Using a mathematical operation (the Fourier transform), these "waves" (or frequencies) can be "unraveled" to identify the mass of each ion. It's a bit like distinguishing each note that makes up a musical chord. Finally, we obtain a "mass spectrum" that describes the molecular composition of our mixture.

Credits: Emma Kiefer, Hélène Lavanant (CARMeN)

 Why is it effective?

•  Accuracy unmatched (resolution) : the measurement is ultra precise (more than four or even five figures after the decimal point!), so we can separate ions whose mass differs from the equivalent of the mass of a single electron, and determine their chemical formula (atomic composition).
• This resolution allows for a ultra-comprehensive analysis : up to 30,000 molecules identified in a single measurement, even in trace amounts.
• Efficiency The higher the magnetic field (7 to 21 Tesla), the more precise the measurements and the more complex samples can be studied (oil, proteins, pollutants, etc.).

And you, what project would you like to see this technology applied to? Come and discuss it!