title: Laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis of small molecules using fullerene-derivatized silica as energy-absorbing material.
abstract: In spite of the growing acceptance of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the analysis of a wide variety of compounds, including polymers and proteins, its use in analyzing low-molecular-weight molecules (<1000 m/z) is still limited. This is mainly due to the interference of matrix molecules in the low-mass range. Here the derivatized fullerenes covalently bound to silica particles with different pore sizes are applied as thin layer for laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometric analysis. Thus, an interference of intrinsic matrix ions can be eliminated or minimized in comparison with the state-of-the-art weak organic acid matrices. The desorption/ionization ability of the developed fullerene-silica materials depends on the applied laser power, sample preparation and pore size of the silica particles. Thus, fullerene-silica serves as an LDI support for mass spectrometric analysis of molecules (<1500 Da). The performance of the fullerene-silica is demonstrated by the mass analysis of variety of small molecules such as carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, phospholipids and drugs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Leopold-Franzens University, Innrain 52a, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.forename: Rainer M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Vallant
authors.forename: Anikó
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takátsy
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bakry
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Najam-ul-Haq
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rainer
authors.forename: Christian W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Huck
authors.forename: Günther K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Bonn
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates; D037741:Fullerenes; D010743:Phospholipids; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid; D012822:Silicon Dioxide