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Low-Temperature Plasma Probe Mass Spectrometry for Analytes Separated on Thin-Layer Chromatography Plates: Direct vs
Xiaoxia Gong1, Dong Zhang1, Inah B Embile1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1061, United States.
Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
|August 19, 2020
Summary
Direct analysis of compounds on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates using mass spectrometry (MS) was investigated. Laser-assisted desorption significantly improved detection limits on normal-phase TLC plates.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Spectrometry
Background:
- Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a common technique for fast, simple, and cost-effective analyte separation.
- Direct analysis of TLC-separated compounds using mass spectrometry (MS) offers high sensitivity and selectivity without lengthy sample preparation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate direct desorption low-temperature plasma-mass spectrometry (LTP-MS) and diode laser assisted desorption (LD) LTP-MS for spatially resolved analysis of compounds directly from TLC plates.
- To characterize amino acids, pharmaceuticals, and structural isomers using these techniques.
Main Methods:
- Direct desorption LTP-MS was applied to analyze compounds on various TLC plates.
- Diode laser assisted desorption (LD) LTP-MS was employed with systematic optimization of laser parameters.
- Tandem MS was utilized to enhance detection limits.
Main Results:
- Desorption efficiency was influenced by the TLC plate's stationary phase and analyte properties.
- Direct desorption LTP-MS performed best on cellulose TLC plates (LODs: 0.01–2.55 ng/mm²).
- LD LTP-MS significantly improved performance on normal-phase (NP) TLC plates, achieving up to 1000-fold better limits of detection (LODs) for amino acids (down to 0.3 pg/mm²).
Conclusions:
- Direct desorption LTP-MS is effective on specific TLC stationary phases like cellulose.
- LD LTP-MS overcomes limitations of direct desorption, enabling sensitive analysis on NP TLC plates.
- The study demonstrates the potential of LD LTP-MS for sensitive and spatially resolved analysis of complex mixtures on TLC plates.
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