title: Atomic force microscope controlled topographical imaging and proximal probe thermal desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging.
abstract: This paper reports on the development of a hybrid atmospheric pressure atomic force microscopy/mass spectrometry imaging system utilizing nanothermal analysis probes for thermal desorption surface sampling with subsequent atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and mass analysis. The basic instrumental setup and the general operation of the system were discussed, and optimized performance metrics were presented. The ability to correlate topographic images of a surface with atomic force microscopy and a mass spectral chemical image of the same surface, utilizing the same probe without moving the sample from the system, was demonstrated. Co-registered mass spectral chemical images and atomic force microscopy topographical images were obtained from inked patterns on paper as well as from a living bacterial colony on an agar gel. Spatial resolution of the topography images based on pixel size (0.2 μm × 0.8 μm) was better than the resolution of the mass spectral images (2.5 μm × 2.0 μm), which were limited by current mass spectral data acquisition rate and system detection levels.
authors.affiliation: Organic and Biological Mass Spectrometry Group, Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6131.
authors.forename: Olga S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Ovchinnikova
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kjoller
authors.forename: Gregory B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Dale A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Van Berkel
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007281:Ink; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010619:Phenazines / Q000032:analysis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D032107:Populus / Q000382:microbiology; D011327:Printing; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D010619:Phenazines; C420923:phenazine-1-carboxamide; D000362:Agar