Evaluation of Agilent RoHS-Compliant LC/MS Ion Injectors

Importance of the Topic

The global move toward RoHS compliance has driven the replacement of leaded glass components in mass spectrometry sources to reduce environmental and health risks. Upgrading ion injectors in LC/MS quadrupole systems ensures regulatory adherence without sacrificing performance.

Objectives and Study Overview

This technical evaluation assessed Agilent’s new RoHS-compliant ion injectors against legacy models. Key goals were to verify that form, fit, and function remained identical and that critical performance metrics—tune signal abundance, lifetime stability, detection sensitivity, robustness, and application efficacy—met or exceeded existing standards.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Instruments tested: Agilent 6470B LC/TQ, 6545XT AdvanceBio Q-TOF, Ultivo triple quadrupole LC/TQ, InfinityLab LC/MSD iQ.
• Ion injector variants: 180 mm FS injector (G3911-30000) and 90 mm Ultivo/MSD iQ injector (G3911-30001) as drop-in replacements for G1960-80060 and G6301-80004 legacy parts.
• Performance assays: Tune abundance comparisons using normalized reference ions in positive/negative mode; simulated one-year lifetime tests by pumping 80 L of acidic (0.1% formic acid) or basic (0.2% ammonium hydroxide) mobile phase; S/N ratio and instrument detection limit (IDL) determinations with reserpine and chloramphenicol standards; robustness challenge with 10,000 injections of dilute bovine urine; application testing of nine pharmaceutical analytes in neat solvent and diluted human urine.

Results and Discussion

• Tune Performance: All RoHS injectors delivered >80% relative signal abundance versus legacy injectors across m/z 113–1,334 in both polarities, meeting acceptance criteria.
• Lifetime Stability: After simulated acidic/basic exposure, RoHS injectors maintained ≥80% tune abundance; high-mass performance on the 6545XT Q-TOF remained equivalent to legacy parts.
• S/N and Detection Limits: On Ultivo LC/TQ and 6470B LC/TQ, S/N values (20,000:1 and 350,000:1 specs) and IDLs (<50 fg and <4 fg) were met or surpassed by RoHS injectors.
• Robustness: Over 10,000 bovine urine injections, calibration deltas stayed within ±0.1 Da and peak width deltas within ±0.14 Da; tune abundance declined but remained within acceptable limits.
• Application Performance: Calibration curves for nine pharmaceuticals (5 ppb–500 ppb on LC/MSD iQ; 5 ppt–1,000 ppt on Ultivo LC/TQ) exhibited R2 >0.995, accuracy 90–110%, precision <5% RSD, and IDLs in the low ppt range equally on RoHS and legacy injectors.

Benefits and Practical Applications

RoHS-compliant ion injectors offer seamless integration into existing workflows with identical mechanical and electrical interfaces. Equivalent sensitivity, robustness, and lifetime stability allow continued use in pharmaceutical QC, environmental monitoring, and trace-level bioanalysis without method redevelopment.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Advances in front-end design may further improve ion transmission and mass range, while expanding RoHS compliance to other source components can drive greener mass spectrometry. Integration with high-throughput and multi-omics platforms will benefit from reliable, environmentally friendly injectors.

Conclusion

Agilent’s RoHS-compliant FS and Ultivo/MSD iQ ion injectors perform equivalently to legacy glass injectors across all evaluated metrics. They serve as direct drop-in replacements, supporting regulatory compliance and sustaining analytical performance.

Reference

• Agilent Technologies. Evaluation of Agilent RoHS-Compliant Ion Injectors. Technical Overview 5994-7613EN, July 2024.