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Schmidt M, Irsig R, Duca D, Peltz C, Passig J, Zimmermann R. Laser-Pulse-Length Effects in Ultrafast Laser Desorption. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18776-18782. [PMID: 38086534 PMCID: PMC10753527 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Shortening the laser pulse length opens up new opportunities for laser desorption (LD) of molecules, with benefits for mass spectrometry (MS) sampling and ionization. The capability to ablate any material without the need for an absorbing matrix and the decrease of thermal damage and molecular fragmentation has promoted various applications with very different parameters and postionization techniques. However, the key issues of the optimum laser pulse length and intensity to achieve efficient and gentle desorption of molecules for postionization in MS are not resolved, although these parameters determine the costs and complexity of the required laser system. Here, we address this research gap with a systematic study on the effect of the pulse length on the LD of molecules. Keeping all other optical and ionization parameters constant, we directly compared the pulses in the femtosecond, picosecond, and nanosecond range with respect to LD-induced fragmentation and desorption efficiency. To represent real-world applications, we investigated the LD of over-the-counter medicaments naproxen and ibuprofen directly from tablets as well as the LD of retene and ship emission aerosols from a quartz filter. With our study design, we excluded interfering effects on fragmentation and LD efficiency from, for example, collisional cooling or postionization by performing the experiments in vacuum with resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization as the postionization technique. Regarding LD-induced fragmentation, we already found benefits for the picosecond pulses. However, the efficiency of LD was found to continuously increase with decreasing pulse length, pointing to the application potential of ultrashort pulses in trace analytics. Because many interfering effects beyond the LD pulse length could be excluded in the experiment, our results may be directly transferable to the LD applied in other techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Schmidt
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Robert Irsig
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Photonion
GmbH, 19061 Schwerin, Germany
| | - Dumitru Duca
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Christian Peltz
- Institute
for Physics, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Johannes Passig
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Ralf Zimmermann
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
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Huang Z, Kayanattil M, Hayes SA, Miller RJD. Picosecond infrared laser driven sample delivery for simultaneous liquid-phase and gas-phase electron diffraction studies. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2022; 9:054301. [PMID: 36124204 PMCID: PMC9482465 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report on a new approach based on laser driven molecular beams that provides simultaneously nanoscale liquid droplets and gas-phase sample delivery for femtosecond electron diffraction studies. The method relies on Picosecond InfraRed Laser (PIRL) excitation of vibrational modes to strongly drive phase transitions under energy confinement by a mechanism referred to as Desorption by Impulsive Vibrational Excitation (DIVE). This approach is demonstrated using glycerol as the medium with selective excitation of the OH stretch region for energy deposition. The resulting plume was imaged with both an ultrafast electron gun and a pulsed bright-field optical microscope to characterize the sample source simultaneously under the same conditions with time synchronization equivalent to sub-micrometer spatial resolution in imaging the plume dynamics. The ablation front gives the expected isolated gas phase, whereas the trailing edge of the plume is found to consist of nanoscale liquid droplets to thin films depending on the excitation conditions. Thus, it is possible by adjusting the timing to go continuously from probing gas phase to solution phase dynamics in a single experiment with 100% hit rates and very low sample consumption (<100 nl per diffraction image). This approach will be particularly interesting for biomolecules that are susceptible to denaturation in turbulent flow, whereas PIRL-DIVE has been shown to inject molecules as large as proteins into the gas phase fully intact. This method opens the door as a general approach to atomically resolving solution phase chemistry as well as conformational dynamics of large molecular systems and allow separation of the solvent coordinate on the dynamics of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Huang
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Meghanad Kayanattil
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stuart A. Hayes
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - R. J. Dwayne Miller
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1H6, Canada
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Ding X, Liu K, Shi Z. LASER DESORPTION/ABLATION POSTIONIZATION MASS SPECTROMETRY: RECENT PROGRESS IN BIOANALYTICAL APPLICATIONS. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2021; 40:566-605. [PMID: 32770707 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lasers have long been used in the field of mass spectrometric analysis for characterization of condensed matter. However, emission of neutrals upon laser irradiation surpasses the number of ions. Typically, only one in about one million analytes ejected by laser desorption/ablation is ionized, which has fueled the quest for postionization methods enabling ionization of desorbed neutrals to enhance mass spectrometric detection schemes. The development of postionization techniques can be an endeavor that integrates multiple disciplines involving photon energy transfer, electrochemistry, gas discharge, etc. The combination of lasers of different parameters and diverse ion sources has made laser desorption/ablation postionization (LD/API) a growing and lively research community, including two-step laser mass spectrometry, laser ablation atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry, and those coupled to ambient mass spectrometry. These hyphenated techniques have shown potentials in bioanalytical applications, with major inroads to be made in simultaneous location and quantification of pharmaceuticals, toxins, and metabolites in complex biomatrixes. This review is intended to provide a timely comprehensive view of the broadening bioanalytical applications of disparate LD/API techniques. We also have attempted to discuss these applications according to the classifications based on the postionization methods and to encapsulate the latest achievements in the field of LD/API by highlighting some of the very best reports in the 21st century. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelu Ding
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Zhenyan Shi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
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Affiliation(s)
- James E. Keener
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Guozhi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Michael T. Marty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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5
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Pieterse CL, de Kock MB, Robertson WD, Eggers HC, Miller RJD. Rapid deconvolution of low-resolution time-of-flight data using Bayesian inference. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:244307. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5129343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius L. Pieterse
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michiel B. de Kock
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Wesley D. Robertson
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans C. Eggers
- Department of Physics, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- National Institute for Theoretical Physics, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - R. J. Dwayne Miller
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Ontario, Toronto M5S 3H6, Canada
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Hale OJ, Cramer R. Atmospheric Pressure Ultraviolet Laser Desorption and Ionization from Liquid Samples for Native Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2019; 91:14192-14197. [PMID: 31651149 PMCID: PMC7007007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding protein structure is vital for evaluating protein interactions with drugs, proteins, and other ligands. Native mass spectrometry (MS) is proving to be invaluable for this purpose, enabling analysis of "native-like" samples that mimic physiological conditions. Native MS is usually performed by electrospray ionization (ESI) with its soft ionization processes and the generation of multiply charged ions proving favorable for conformation retention and high mass analysis, respectively. There is scope to expand the currently available toolset, specifically to other soft ionization techniques such as soft laser desorption, for applications in areas like high-throughput screening and MS imaging. In this Letter, observations made from native MS experiments using an ultraviolet (UV) laser-based ion source operating at atmospheric pressure are described. The ion source is capable of producing predominately multiply charged ions similar to ESI. Proteins and protein complexes were analyzed from a native-like sample droplet to investigate the technique. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) measurements showed that folded protein conformations were detected for ions with low charge states. This observation indicates the source is suitable for native MS analysis and should be further developed for higher mass analysis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Hale
- Department of Chemistry , University of Reading , Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AD , United Kingdom
| | - Rainer Cramer
- Department of Chemistry , University of Reading , Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AD , United Kingdom
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Li G, Ma F, Cao Q, Zheng Z, DeLaney K, Liu R, Li L. Nanosecond photochemically promoted click chemistry for enhanced neuropeptide visualization and rapid protein labeling. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4697. [PMID: 31619683 PMCID: PMC6795811 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12548-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive protein identification and concomitant structural probing of proteins are of great biological significance. However, this is challenging to accomplish simultaneously in one confined space. Here, we develop a nanosecond photochemical reaction (nsPCR)-based click chemistry, capable of structural probing of proteins and enhancing their identifications through on-demand removal of surrounding matrices within nanoseconds. The nsPCR is initiated using a photoactive compound, 2-nitrobenzaldehyde (NBA), and is examined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Benefiting from the on-demand matrix-removal effect, this nsPCR strategy enables enhanced neuropeptide identification and visualization from complex tissue samples such as mouse brain tissue. The design shows great promise for structural probing of proteins up to 155 kDa due to the exclusive accessibility of nsPCR to primary amine groups, as demonstrated by its general applicability using a series of proteins with various lysine residues from multiple sample sources, with accumulated labeling efficiencies greater than 90%. Mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics aim to identify and quantify proteins from complex biological samples. Here, the authors developed a method for simultaneous high-throughput protein labelling and on-demand matrix removal within nanoseconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongyu Li
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Fengfei Ma
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Qinjingwen Cao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Zhen Zheng
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Kellen DeLaney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Lingjun Li
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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Hanley L, Wickramasinghe R, Yung YP. Laser Desorption Combined with Laser Postionization for Mass Spectrometry. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2019; 12:225-245. [PMID: 30786215 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061318-115447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Lasers with pulse lengths from nanoseconds to femtoseconds and wavelengths from the mid-infrared to extreme ultraviolet (UV) have been used for desorption or ablation in mass spectrometry. Such laser sampling can often benefit from the addition of a second laser for postionization of neutrals. The advantages offered by laser postionization include the ability to forego matrix application, high lateral resolution, decoupling of ionization from desorption, improved analysis of electrically insulating samples, and potential for high sensitivity and depth profiling while minimizing differential detection. A description of postionization by vacuum UV radiation is followed by a consideration of multiphoton, short pulse, and other postionization strategies. The impacts of laser pulse length and wavelength are considered for laser desorption or laser ablation at low pressures. Atomic and molecular analysis via direct laser desorption/ionization using near-infrared ultrashort pulses is described. Finally, the postionization of clusters, the role of gaseous collisions, sampling at ambient pressure, atmospheric pressure photoionization, and the addition of UV postionization to MALDI are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Hanley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA;
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Feider CL, Krieger A, DeHoog RJ, Eberlin LS. Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Recent Developments and Applications. Anal Chem 2019; 91:4266-4290. [PMID: 30790515 PMCID: PMC7444024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b00807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clara L. Feider
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Anna Krieger
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Rachel J. DeHoog
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Livia S. Eberlin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Li G, Cao Q, Liu Y, DeLaney K, Tian Z, Moskovets E, Li L. Characterizing and alleviating ion suppression effects in atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2019; 33:327-335. [PMID: 30430670 PMCID: PMC6353668 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE As a powerful ambient ion source, atmospheric pressure (AP) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) enables direct analysis at atmospheric pressure/temperature and minimal sample preparation. With the increasing usage of AP-MALDI sources with Orbitrap instruments, systematic characterization of the extent of ion suppression effect (ISE) in AP-MALDI-Orbitrap mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is desirable. Recently, a new low-pressure MALDI platform has been introduced that reportedly provided better sensitivity. While extensive research efforts have been devoted to improving spatial resolution, fewer studies focused on the characterization and sensitivity improvement of these MALDI platforms that, coupled with high-resolution Orbitraps, provide powerful strategy for MSI. METHODS We compared the analytical performance of AP and low-pressure (subatmospheric) MALDI sources to study the effect of pressure control in the ion source. Using a model peptide/protein mixture, we systematically evaluated the factors influencing ISE. Furthermore, the effect of laser spot size was evaluated through tissue imaging analysis of lipids and neuropeptides. The effects of ion suppression and laser spot size have also been examined by comparing the number of identified molecular species during MSI analysis. RESULTS Several key operating parameters including source pressure, laser energy, laser repetition rate, and microscopic slide coating materials were optimized to minimize the ISE. Under the optimal conditions, the subatmospheric AP-MALDI-Orbitrap platform with high spatial and mass spectral resolution enabled significantly improved coverage of several lipid and neuropeptide families in the MS analysis of mouse brain tissue sections. CONCLUSIONS The new SubAP-MALDI source coupled with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer was established as a viable platform for in situ endogenous biomolecular analysis with increased sensitivity compared with conventional AP-MALDI sources as evidenced by the confident identification of neuropeptides from mouse brain imaging analyses. The alleviated ISE was key to substantial performance improvement due to optimized intermediate pressure conditions and better ion collection by the ion funnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongyu Li
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Qinjingwen Cao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Kellen DeLaney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Zichuan Tian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | | | - Lingjun Li
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Contact Information for Corresponding Author: Prof. Dr. Lingjun Li, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53705-2222, USA;, Phone: +1-608-265-8491;, Fax: +1-608-262-5345;,
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