| In this dissertation, I use Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) to study the structure and energetics of gas phase ions.;Infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy (IRMPD) is a technique for measuring the IR spectrum of gas phase ions in a Penning trap. I use this technique to investigate the conformation of cucurbituril complexes, terminal diamines, and protonated amino acids.;Cross sectional areas by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (CRAFTI) is a technique developed by the Dearden lab to measure the cross section of gas phase ions. In this work, I further develop a fundamental understanding of this technique. I investigate the role that dissociation plays in this and other FTICR-MS techniques. I also show that the principles of the CRAFTI technique can be used to measure the pressure inside the cell of an FTICR-MS. This technique, linewidth pressure measurement (LIPS), allows for a quantitative measurement and comparison of CRAFTI cross sections. To demonstrate the improvements to the technique, I measure the CRAFTI cross sections for the 20 standard amino acids and compare these to literature values measured by ion mobility measurements. |
