title: Ambient mass spectrometry imaging: plasma assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging and its applications.
abstract: Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has been widely used in many research areas for the advantages of providing informative molecular distribution with high specificity. Among the recent progress, ambient MSI has attracted increasing interests owing to its characteristics of ambient, in situ, and nonpretreatment analysis. Here, we are presenting the ambient MSI for traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and authentication of work of art and documents using plasma assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (PALDI-MS). Compared with current ambient MSI methods, an excellent average resolution of 60 μm × 60 μm pixel size was achieved using this system. The feasibility of PALDI-based MSI was confirmed by seal imaging, and its authentication applications were demonstrated by imaging of printed Chinese characters. Imaging of the Radix Scutellariae slice showed that the two active components, baicalein and wogonin, mainly were distributed in the epidermis of the root, which proposed an approach for distinguishing TCMs' origins and the distribution of active components of TCMs and exploring the environmental effects of plant growth. PALDI-MS imaging provides a strong complement for the MSI strategy with the enhanced spatial resolution, which is promising in many research fields, such as artwork identification, TCMs' and botanic research, pharmaceutical applications, etc.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, the Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Baosheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jialing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cuilan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xingchuang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Chengan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Huwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu