New technology for the online analysis of complex organic gases

Munich, Germany – Ascenion GmbH has acquired shares in Photonion GmbH, a start-up company founded by scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München together with two mid-sized companies, Airsense Analytics GmbH, Schwerin, Germany, and Tofwerk AG, Thun, Switzerland. Photonion’s mission is to develop and commercialize a new mass spectrometry system that enables for the first time the straightforward analysis of complex organic materials, liquids or gases. Potential industrial applications range from the online control of coffee-roasting or plastic-producing processes to the analysis of cigarette smoke, crude oil or fine dust pollution.

The technology uses a novel soft photoionization source developed by Prof. Ralf Zimmermann and his team and is based on innovative vacuum UV light sources. ‘The key advantage of photoionization is that it reduces the fragmentation of the compounds to be analyzed. It therefore generates meaningful results, even when directly applied to complex organic mixtures,’ Zimmermann points out. ‘We can thus often skip the time- and cost-intensive separation procedures that are usually required prior to mass spectrometry analysis and employ our system, for instance, in process and quality control.’

Photonion has already entered strategic alliances with two industry partners for the development and distribution of two dedicated photoionization mass spectrometry systems – one for the analysis of solid organic matter through combined thermal analysis and mass spectrometry, and the other one for the online analysis of cigarette smoke. Over the long term, the company intends to produce and commercialize photoionization mass spectrometers as standalone systems to be used for manifold applications.

‘Photonion has an ideal starting position,’ Dr Sigrid Scheek, Technology Manager at Ascenion GmbH, comments. Tofwerk will bring in its infrastructure and know-how in the manufacturing of mass spectrometry equipment, while Airsense will contribute its capabilities in system integration and marketing. Dr Andreas Walte and Wolf Münchmeyer, both CEOs of Airsense, will initially serve as Photonion’s CEOs. Prof. Zimmermann will act as consultant, providing the company with continued access to his unique expertise and ongoing research in the field. Moreover, all patents covering the photoionization mass spectrometry technology have been exclusively licensed to Photonion by the Helmholtz Zentrum München. The deal was mediated by Ascenion, who also counselled the founders with regard to legal issues, corporate development and financing.

‘Photonion is an exemplary spin-off,’ Dr Christian Stein, CEO of Ascenion, continues. ‘Their experienced and well-connected CEOs, together with the founders’ combined assets and the partnerships they have already forged, will enable their business to grow in a sustainable manner, without the need for extensive venture capital investments.’

Initial funding is provided by the Helmholtz-Enterprise-Fonds, the Helmholtz Zentrum München, Tofwerk and Airsense.

Zimmermann says: ‘Thanks to the joint efforts of researchers, institutions, industry and technology transfer, we will be able to exploit the fruits of almost 20 years of research in this field. It is extremely satisfying for me to see first applications of our invention move towards the market. Moreover, Photonion offers exciting career opportunities to the scientists who started as doctoral fellows in my team.’

In the framework of the recently founded ‘Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre’, a collaborative project between the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University of Rostock, Zimmermann and his colleagues will continue their research on photoionization and explore further applications, particularly in the fields of medicine and energy.