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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Imaging of Biological Tissues by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Published on: July 12, 2013
Surfactant-enhanced desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry
Anders Nordström1, Junefredo V Apon, Wilasinee Uritboonthai
1Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Center for Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Abstract:
Perfluorinated surfactants are demonstrated to dramatically enhance desorption/ionization on fluorinated silicon (DIOS) mass spectrometry. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid improved the signal-to-noise ratio of tryptic digests and gave a 3-fold increase in the number of peptides identified. Similar results were also obtained using perfluoroundecanoic acid; yet among the seven different surfactants tested, controls such as nonfluorinated sodium dodecyl sulfate or fluorinated molecules with minimal surfactant activity did not enhance the signal. The same surfactants also enhanced the DIOS-MS signal of amino acids, carbohydrates, and other small organic compounds. The signal enhancement may be facilitated by the high surface activity of the perfluorinated surfactants on the fluorinated silicon surfaces allowing for a higher concentration of analyte to be absorbed.
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