For example, the ion C7H72+ has a mass of 91 Da. Its charge number is +2, and hence its charge is 2e. The ion will be observed at 45.5 Th in a mass spectrum.
The thomson allows for negative values for negatively charged ions. For example, the benzoate anion would be observed at −121 Th since the charge is −e.
Use
The thomson has been used by some mass spectrometrists, for example Alexander Makarov—the inventor of the Orbitrap—in a scientific poster,[3] and a 2015 presentation.[4] Other uses of the thomson include papers,[5][6]
and (notably) one book.[2] The journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (in which the original article appeared) states that "the thomson (Th) may be used for such purposes as a unit of mass-to-charge ratio although it is not currently approved by IUPAP or IUPAC."[7] Even so, the term has been called "controversial" by RCM's former Editor-in Chief[8] (in a review the Hoffman text cited above[2]). The book, Mass Spectrometry Desk Reference, argues against the use of the thomson.[9] However, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan has written an editorial in support of the thomson unit.[10]
The thomson is not an SI unit, nor has it been defined by IUPAC.
Since 2013, the thomson is deprecated by IUPAC (Definitions of Terms Relating to Mass Spectrometry).[11][12] Since 2014, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry regards the thomson as a "term that should be avoided in mass spectrometry publications".[13]
^ abcStroobant, Vincent; de Hoffmann, Edmond de; Charette, Jean Joseph (1996). Mass spectrometry: principles and applications. New York: Wiley. ISBN978-0-471-96696-8.
^Pakenham, G; Lango, J; Buonarati, M; Morin, D; Buckpitt, A (2002). "Urinary naphthalene mercapturates as biomarkers of exposure and stereoselectivity of naphthalene epoxidation". Drug Metab. Dispos. 30 (3): 247–53. doi:10.1124/dmd.30.3.247. PMID11854141.
^Boyd, Robert K. (4 December 1998). "Book Review: Mass Spectrometry: Principles and Applications. E. de Hoffman, J. Charette and W. Stroobant. Wiley, Chichester 1996. ISBN 0-471-96697-5". Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 11 (8): 948. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0231(199705)11:8<948::AID-RCM2033>3.0.CO;2-I.
^Sparkman, O. David (2000). Mass spectrometry desk reference. Pittsburgh: Global View Pub. ISBN978-0-9660813-2-9.
^Volmer, Dietrich A. (2014). "Terms and acronyms that should be avoided in mass spectrometry publications". Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 28 (17): 1853–1854. Bibcode:2014RCMS...28.1853V. doi:10.1002/rcm.6979. PMID25088128.