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Microfabricated polymer injector for direct mass spectrometry coupling.
Véronique Gobry1, Jan van Oostrum, Marco Martinelli
1Laboratoire d'Electrochimie, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
Proteomics
|August 8, 2002
Summary
This study integrates polymer microfluidics with electrospray mass spectrometry for nanospray generation. This novel coupling enables high-volume, reproducible production of hydrophobic interfaces for sensitive bioanalysis.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Microfluidics
- Mass Spectrometry
Background:
- Polymer microfluidic systems offer advantages in fabricating hydrophobic interfaces.
- Integrating microfluidics with mass spectrometry (MS) is crucial for sensitive and efficient analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the coupling of a plasma etched polymer microfluidic system with electrospray mass spectrometry.
- To achieve nanospray generation directly from a polymer microfluidic chip for MS analysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polymer microfluidic chips using plasma etching.
- Direct coupling of the microfluidic chip outlet to the electrospray ionization source of a mass spectrometer.
- Characterization of nanospray performance using flow measurements, stability tests, and tandem mass spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Successful generation of a stable nanospray directly from the polymer microfluidic chip.
- No significant chemical background observed from the polymer under standard nanospray conditions.
- Demonstrated detection limit of 40 fmol/microL for angiotensin II using tandem mass spectrometry.
Conclusions:
- The developed system enables high-volume production and good reproducibility of hydrophobic interfaces.
- This integrated approach provides a sensitive and efficient platform for mass spectrometry-based analyses.
- The polymer microfluidic-electrospray MS coupling is a promising technique for various analytical applications.