Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 3GJ, UK
  • 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Rd, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
  • 3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA. [email protected]
  • 5 Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 3GJ, UK. [email protected]
Sci Rep, 2020 12 09;10(1):21504.
PMID: 33299034 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78133-4

Abstract

Paper spray ionization (PSI) mass spectrometry (MS) is an emerging tool for ambient reaction monitoring via microdroplet reaction acceleration. PSI-MS was used to accelerate and monitor the time course of the reaction of dansyl chloride with aniline, in acetonitrile, to produce dansyl aniline. Three distinct PSI arrangements were explored in this study representing alternative approaches for sample loading and interaction; conventional single tip as well as two novel setups, a dual-tip and a co-axial arrangement were designed so as to limit any on-paper interaction between reagents. The effect on product abundance was investigated using these different paper configurations as it relates to the time course and distance of microdroplet travel. It was observed that product yield increases at a given distance and then decreases thereafter for all PSI configurations. The fluorescent property of the product (dansyl aniline) was used to visually inspect the reaction progress on the paper substrate during the spraying process. Amongst the variety of sample loading methods the novel dual-tip arrangement showed an increased product yield and microdroplet density, whilst avoiding any on-paper interaction between the reagents.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.