title: Matrix-free desorption of biomolecules using massive cluster impact.
abstract: Massive-cluster impact (MCI) ionization was found to be capable of producing high secondary-ion yields from biological samples without the use of a liquid matrix. Dry samples of molecules as large as cytochrome c were observed to be efficiently desorbed without significant fragmentation by the MCI beam of glycerol clusters. In addition, signals from protonated molecules retained a significant proportion of their initial intensity even after several minutes exposure to the primary beam. It was determined that these remarkable phenomena are not the result of the build-up of a layer of glycerol caused by the cluster bombardment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Cornett
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mahoney
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000032:analysis; D006736:Horses; D007328:Insulin / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D007328:Insulin; D011506:Proteins