Surface tuning laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (STLDI-MS) for the analysis of small molecules using quantum dots

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry Vol. 409; no. 21; pp. 4943 - 4950
• Main Authors: Abdelhamid, Hani Nasser, Chen, Zhen-Yu, Wu, Hui-Fen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorption; Aluminum; Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Cadmium; Cadmium tellurides; Capping; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cyclodextrin; Desorption; Equipment and supplies; Foils; Food Science; Gramicidin; Intermetallic compounds; Ionization; Ions; Irradiation; Laboratory Medicine; Lasers; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Methods; Molecular dynamics; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Observations; Pyrene; Quantum dots; Research Paper; Scientific imaging; Spectroscopy; Steel plates; Substrates; Surface chemistry; Synergistic effect; Tellurides; Tuning; Quantum dots; Surface - enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SELDI-MS); Surface capping agent; CdTe QDs
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-017-0433-4

In most applications of quantum dots (QDs) for surface-assisted l aser d esorption/ i onization m ass s pectrometry (SALDI-MS), one side of QDs is supported by a solid substrate (stainless - steel plate), whereas the other side is in contact with the target analytes. Therefore, the surface capping agent of QDs is a key parameter for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). Cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) modified with different capping agents are synthesized, characterized, and applied for s urface t uning l aser d esorption/ i onization m ass s pectrometry ( STLDI-MS ). Data shows that CdTe quantum dot modified cysteine (cys@CdTe QDs) has an absorption that matches with the wavelength of the N 2 laser (337 nm). The synergistic effect of large surface area and absorption of the laser irradiation of cys@CdTe QDs enhances the LDI-MS process for small - molecule analysis, including α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrin, gramicidin D, perylene, pyrene, and triphenylphosphine. Cys@CdTe QDs are also applied using Al foils as substrates. Aluminum foil combined with cys@CdTe QDs enhances the ionization efficiency and is cheap compared to traditional matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) with a stainless - steel plate.