title: Direct and Convenient Mass Spectrometry Sampling with Ambient Flame Ionization.
abstract: Recent innovations in ambient ionization technology for the direct analysis of various samples in their native environment facilitate the development and applications of mass spectrometry in natural science. Presented here is a novel, convenient and flame-based ambient ionization method for mass spectrometric analysis of organic compounds, termed as the ambient flame ionization (AFI) ion source. The key features of AFI ion source were no requirement of (high) voltages, laser beams and spray gases, but just using small size of n-butane flame (height approximately 1 cm, about 500 (o)C) to accomplish the rapid desorption and ionization for direct analysis of gaseous-, liquid- and solid-phase organic compounds, as well as real-world samples. This method has high sensitivity with a limit of detection of 1 picogram for propyphenazone, which allows consuming trace amount of samples. Compared to previous ionization methods, this ion source device is extremely simple, maintain-free, low-cost, user-friendly so that even an ordinary lighter (with n-butane as fuel) can achieve efficient ionization. A new orientation to mass spectrometry ion source exploitation might emerge from such a convenient, easy and inexpensive AFI ion source.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Xiao-Pan
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Hao-Yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Jun-Ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Meng-Xi
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Wan-Shu
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organmetallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032 (China).
authors.forename: Yin-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo