Biogenic aldehyde determination by reactive paper spray ionization mass spectrometry

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Mass Spectrometry
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Aldehyde detection is crucial in various fields.
• Traditional methods can be complex or lack sensitivity.
• Paper spray ionization (PSI) offers a simple ionization technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved method for aldehyde ionization and detection.
• To utilize simultaneous chemical derivatization with 4-aminophenol during PSI.
• To differentiate between aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes.

Main Methods:

• Aldehydes were derivatized with 4-aminophenol to form iminium ions.
• Paper spray ionization was employed for efficient ionization.
• Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) with collision-induced dissociation (CID) was used for fragmentation analysis.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous derivatization enhanced aldehyde ionization.
• Aliphatic aldehydes produced a characteristic fragment ion at m/z 122.
• Aromatic aldehydes yielded a distinct fragment ion at m/z 120.
• Quantitative analysis of n-nonanaldehyde showed linearity over three orders of magnitude with a low limit of detection (2.2 ng).
• The method demonstrated good precision (22% RSD) and was adaptable to portable mass spectrometers.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables straightforward identification of linear and aromatic aldehydes.
• This approach offers a sensitive and quantitative method for aldehyde analysis.
• The technique's adaptability to portable instruments suggests potential for field applications.