title: Microfabricated polymer injector for direct mass spectrometry coupling.
abstract: This paper demonstrates the coupling of a plasma etched polymer microfluidic system with an electrospray mass spectrometer by generation of a nanospray. Taking advantage of the microtechnology processes and polymer properties, high volume production with good reproducibility of hydrophobic interfaces could be obtained. The nanospray was directly produced from the outlet of the plastic microfabricated chip positioned in front of the capillary entrance of the mass spectrometer. No chemical background due to the polymer has been observed under standard nanospray conditions. The performances of the spray as well as its efficiency have been demonstrated by flow measurements, stability establishment and tandem mass spectrometry experiment on angiotensin II. The spray was actuated without additional flow in methanol: water:acetic acid (50:49:1%) solution. A 40 fmol/microL detection limit could be reached.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Electrochimie, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gobry
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Oostrum
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Tatiana C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Rohner
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reymond
authors.forename: Joël S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rossier
authors.forename: Hubert H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Girault
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D000804:Angiotensin II