High-repetition rate laser ablation coupled to dielectric barrier discharge postionization for ambient mass spectrometry

Most ambient sample introduction and ionization techniques for native mass spectrometry are highly selective for polar agents. To achieve a more general sensitivity for a wider range of target analytes, a novel laser ablation dielectric barrier discharge (LA DBD) ionization scheme was developed. The approach employs a two-step mechanism with subsequent sample desorption and post-ionization. Effective ablation was achieved by the second harmonic output (λ=532nm) of a diode pumped Nd:YVO4 laser operating at a high-repetition rate of several kHz and pulse energies below 100μJ. The ejected analyte-containing aerosol was consecutively vaporized and ionized in the afterglow of a DBD plasma jet. Depending on their proton affinity the superexcited helium species in this afterglow produced analyte ions as protonated and ammoniated species, as well as radical cations. The optimization procedure could corroborate underlying conceptual consideration on the ablation, desorption and ionization mechanisms. A successful detection of a variety of target molecules could be shown from the pharmaceutical ibuprofen, urea, the amino acids l-arginine, l-lysine, the polymer polyethylene glycol, the organometallic compound ferrocene and the technical mixture wild mint oil. For a reliable evaluation of the introduced detection procedure spectra from the naturally abundant alkaloid capsaicin in dried capsicum fruits were recorded.