title: Critical factors determining the quantification capability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization- time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: Quantitative analysis with mass spectrometry (MS) is important but challenging. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) coupled with time-of-flight (TOF) MS offers superior sensitivity, resolution and speed, but such techniques have numerous disadvantages that hinder quantitative analyses. This review summarizes essential obstacles to analyte quantification with MALDI-TOF MS, including the complex ionization mechanism of MALDI, sensitive characteristics of the applied electric fields and the mass-dependent detection efficiency of ion detectors. General quantitative ionization and desorption interpretations of ion production are described. Important instrument parameters and available methods of MALDI-TOF MS used for quantitative analysis are also reviewed.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Linong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan, Republic of China Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chia-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yin-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Republic of China Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu-Meng
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huan-Tsung
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Linong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan, Republic of China Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Republic of China wer@gate.sinica.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Yi-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: detection efficiency; instrument parameters; ion optics; ionization mechanism; photoreaction; timing characteristic