Catching proteins in liquid helium droplets

Abstract

An experimental approach is presented that allows for the incorporation of large mass/charge selected ions in liquid helium droplets. It is demonstrated that droplets can be efficiently doped with a mass/charge selected amino acid as well as with the much bigger m$\approx$12 000 amu protein Cytochrome C in selected charge states. The sizes of the ion-doped droplets are determined via electrostatic deflection. Under the experimental conditions employed, the observed droplet sizes are very large and range, dependent on the incorporated ion, from 10$^{10}$ helium atoms for protonated Phenylalanine to 10$^{12}$ helium atoms for Cytochrome C. As a possible explanation, a simple model based on the size- and internal energy-dependence of the pickup efficiency is given.