Comparison of desorption enhancement methods in the low temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry for detecting fatty acids in Drosophila

• Published in: Current applied physics Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 1120 - 1126
• Main Authors: Kim, Shin Hye, Jang, Hyun Jun, Park, Jeong Hyang, Lee, Hyoung Jun, Kim, Jeongkwon, Yim, Yong-Hyeon, Kim, Dan Bee, Yoon, Sohee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2017; 한국물리학회
• Subjects: Ambient mass spectrometry; Derivatization; Fatty acid; Plasma; Vapor pressure; 물리학; Plasma; Vapor pressure; Derivatization; Ambient mass spectrometry; Fatty acid
• ISSN: 1567-1739; 1878-1675; 1567-1739
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2017.04.017

Mass spectrometry (MS) with low temperature plasma (LTP) as an ionization source is one of the widely used ambient methods in analyzing various bio-chemical samples for their detection, identification, differentiation, etc. While the LTP-MS allows selective analysis of a sample with low-molecular weight without thermal damages, it has difficulties desorbing a target molecule from the sample surface with a low volatility. Hence, for the purpose of enhancing the desorption and ionization efficiencies of the LTP-MS when analyzing the fatty acids, two methods were compared: directly heating the sample surface and increasing the vapor pressure of the fatty acid itself by derivatization. In addition, the fatty acids in Drosophila were directly analyzed with the LTP-MS. As a result, it was found that the LTP-MS detection efficiency was enhanced with the derivatization as much as with the heating condition while there was little synergy in employing both of the heating and derivatization together. •Two method to solve the limitation of low temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry is suggested.•Heating is more easy desorption efficiency of molecules from the surface.•Derivatization is contributed by increasing the vapor pressure of Fatty acid molecules.