title: Electric-field-enhanced collection of laser-ablated materials onto a solvent bridge for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ambient imaging mass spectrometry methods are critically dependent on the ability to efficiently collect all substances from a well-defined area of the sample. Improvements in this area are critical and enabling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methods for the efficient collection of laser-ablated materials directly into a solvent, for immediate transport to an ion source, have been explored using the application of electric fields.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Electric-field-enhanced collection of laser-ablated materials has been demonstrated. Demonstrated increases in collection efficiency are as large as two orders of magnitude, in particular for hydrated biological materials, such as living bacterial colonies. This was achieved by applying approximately 1 kV between the sample and the receiving solvent surface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electric-field-enhanced collection of laser-ablated materials holds great promise for ambient sampling and imaging mass spectrometry with rapid and direct interfacing to ionization sources, such as electrospray.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019-5251, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Whitney
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Beech
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunner
mesh_terms: D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012705:Serratia / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization