Nanomaterial-assisted thread-based isotachophoresis with on-thread solute trapping

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Alkaloid analysis in biological fluids often requires sensitive and selective methods.
• Existing techniques may face limitations in sample clean-up and preconcentration.
• Nanomaterial integration offers potential for improved analytical performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel nanomaterial-assisted thread-based isotachophoresis (TB-ITP) setup.
• To enable efficient clean-up, preconcentration, and trapping of alkaloids from biological fluids.
• To couple TB-ITP with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) for sensitive alkaloid determination.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a reusable TB-ITP setup and DESI-compatible thread holder using 3D printing.
• Utilization of a functionalized nylon thread as the substrate for isotachophoresis and analyte trapping.
• Employing graphene oxide (GO) functionalized nylon thread as a trap for focused alkaloids.
• On-thread desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) for final analyte determination.

Main Results:

• Achieved effective clean-up, preconcentration, and trapping of target alkaloids (coptisine, berberine, palmatine).
• Demonstrated a significant increase in sensitivity, up to 10-fold, compared to direct DESI-MS analysis.
• Validated the reusability of the TB-ITP setup and the effectiveness of the GO-functionalized trap.

Conclusions:

• The developed TB-ITP method offers a highly sensitive approach for alkaloid analysis in complex biological matrices.
• Nanomaterial-modified threads represent a promising platform for electrofluidic separation and concentration.
• This approach paves the way for enhanced sensitivity and selectivity in thread-based electrofluidic separations coupled with ambient ionization MS.