Determination of elemental composition of metals using ambient organic mass spectrometry

Conventional inorganic mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of metals can require time-consuming and tedious sample preparation. We thus report the novel and direct characterization of metals in solid samples using an organic MS technique known as electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS). No sample pretreatment was needed, and results were rapidly obtained due to the ambient and laser-based nature of ELDI/MS. Metals from samples were desorbed and ionized by laser irradiation, after which they reacted with EDTA and then post-ionized and detected as metal-EDTA complexes. Aluminum, copper, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc from plates, foils, and coins were characterized in seconds. This study demonstrates that an ESI/MS system can be easily modified to analyze metal elements in solids by involving a chelating agent, indicating a potentially promising development in MS towards the analysis of metals using organic MS.