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Updated: May 25, 2026

Atmospheric-pressure Molecular Imaging of Biological Tissues and Biofilms by LAESI Mass Spectrometry
Published on: September 3, 2010
Internal energy deposition and ion fragmentation in atmospheric-pressure mid-infrared laser ablation electrospray
Peter Nemes1, Hehua Huang, Akos Vertes
1Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
Abstract:
Mid-infrared laser ablation of water-rich targets at the maximum of the 2.94 μm absorption band is a two-step process initiated by phase explosion followed by recoil pressure induced material ejection. Particulates and/or droplets ejected by this high temperature high pressure process can be ionized for mass spectrometry by charged droplets from an electrospray. In order to gauge the internal energy introduced in this laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI®) process, we apply the survival yield method and compare the results with electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI). The results indicate that LAESI yields ions with internal energies indistinguishable from those produced by ESI. This finding is consistent with the recoil pressure induced ejection of low micrometre droplets that does not significantly change the internal energy of solute molecules.
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