Miniaturization of liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. 3. Achievements on chip-based LC–MS devices

• Published in: TrAC, Trends in analytical chemistry (Regular ed.) Vol. 131; p. 116003
• Main Authors: Vargas Medina, Deyber Arley, Maciel, Edvaldo Vasconcelos Soares, Lanças, Fernando Mauro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.2020
• Subjects: 3D-printing; Capillary liquid chromatography; Chip-based liquid chromatography; Lab on a chip; Mass spectrometry; Microfabricated columns; Microfluidics; Miniaturization; Nano liquid chromatography; Lab on a chip; 3D-printing; Nano liquid chromatography; Microfabricated columns; Chip-based liquid chromatography; Miniaturization; Capillary liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Microfluidics
• ISSN: 0165-9936; 1879-3142
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2020.116003

Nowadays, miniaturized liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to mass spectrometry is a leading analytical technique in several modern research areas. Its applications will keep in constant spreading, and new and miniaturized instrumental advances will continue to be necessary for the coming years. In this way, chip-based LC–MS technology is one of the most efficient strategies to i) address the extra column band broadening challenges of the capillary/nanoscale, and ii) provide portability, lower-cost and user-friendly character to the miniaturized LC–MS systems. Several commercial chip-based LC–MS are available, because of the notable developments in the manufacturing of the analytical chips throughout the last decades. Since the emerging of the first instruments based on MEMS LC–MS (microelectromechanical systems), diverse microfabrication technologies have been reported to engrave and model a wide gamma of materials and substrates. Within such a context, many strategies to on-chip fully-integration of the solvent delivering systems, injectors, chromatographic media, mass spectrometry interfaces, ionization sources, and mass analyzers have been explored and its feasibility demonstrated. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the major chip technology developments, their state-of-art, and a consistent survey of the recent literature on it. Finally, a description about the most diverse applications of the fully integrated chip-based LC–MS platforms is summarized. In this case, showing remarkable examples using mono and bidirectional systems to the analysis of macro- and small molecules of biochemical, biological, pharmaceutical, clinical, forensic, environmental, foodstuff and quality control interest. •The state-of-the-art and future trends on chip-based LC–MS are reviewed.•An overview of the commercially available chip-based LC–MS platforms is provided.•Main chip substrates and microfabrication technologies are presented.•Characteristics of the different on-chip chromatographic media are discussed.•The main recent applications of chip-based LC–MS are presented and discussed.