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Related Experiment Videos

Micro-electrospray with stainless steel emitters.

Wenqing Shui1, Yanling Yu, Xuejiao Xu

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM
|July 8, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Sheathless micro-electrospray (micro-ES) is achievable with blunt stainless steel tips by optimizing conditions. This method enables sensitive peptide detection at attomole levels and integration into microfluidic devices.

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Area of Science:

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Micro-electrospray ionization (micro-ES) is a crucial technique in mass spectrometry.
  • Optimizing emitter design and operating conditions is vital for efficient micro-ES performance.
  • Stainless steel emitters offer potential advantages in robustness and cost-effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the physical processes governing micro-electrospray performance using blunt stainless steel emitters.
  • To determine optimal conditions for generating stable sheathless micro-ES from blunt tips.
  • To evaluate the utility of modified blunt stainless steel emitters for sensitive analyte detection.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a blunt stainless steel emitter (100 µm i.d. x 400 µm o.d.).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Optimized electrospray ionization (ESI) conditions for sheathless micro-ES generation.
  • Modified emitter tip by nipping the outlet orifice to control spray characteristics.
  • Integrated the emitter into a polymethylmethacrylate microchip for analysis.
  • Analyzed a myoglobin digest to assess performance.

    • Main Results:

    • Achieved stable sheathless micro-ES from a blunt stainless steel tip without tapering or sanding by optimizing ESI conditions.
    • Observed Taylor cone shrinkage around the inner diameter, enabling low flow rates (150 nL/min).
    • Demonstrated that emitter wettability/hydrophobicity influences micro-ES performance.
    • Reduced spray cone size and flow rate (50-150 nL/min) by nipping the orifice, leading to attomole-level peptide detection.
    • Showcased successful application in analyzing and identifying a myoglobin digest using the integrated microchip system.

    Conclusions:

    • Blunt stainless steel emitters can effectively produce sheathless micro-ES under optimized conditions.
    • Emitter tip modification and material properties are key factors for enhancing micro-ES performance and sensitivity.
    • This approach facilitates sensitive peptide analysis and integration into microfluidic systems for various applications.