Patent ID: 8610058
Filing Date: 2013-12-17
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying, detecting, analyzing or combinations thereof one or more low mass analytes by a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technique comprising the steps of: providing a liquid sample comprising the one or more low mass analytes to be identified, detected or analyzed; depositing the liquid sample on a surface of a MALDI plate or a substrate, wherein the liquid sample is dried on the surface of the MALDI plate or the substrate; depositing a matrix comprising one or more metal nanoparticles, clusters or combinations thereof on the surface of the MALDI plate or substrate comprising the dried liquid sample, wherein the metal nanoparticles or clusters are deposited or soft landed on the surface of the MALDI plate or substrate by a gas phase mobility soft landing method, wherein the soft landing method comprises a SLIM, a differential mobility analyzer (DMA), a drift tube (DT) or a flow tube (FT) comprising the steps of: providing an instrument comprising a drift region or a drift tube and a split-ring ion optic deflector, wherein the ion optic deflector helps selects and soft land a cluster of metal ions of a specific mobility; ionizing a target, a sample, a composition or a combinations thereof comprising at least one component capable of generating one or more metal ions by laser ablation in the instrument; separating and thermalizing the one or more metal ions in the drift region of the instrument by collision with a high pressure inert bath gas or gas mixture contained in the instrument; directing the thermalized metal ions using the split-ring ion optic from the drift tube to a landing surface, wherein the landing surface comprises the MALDI plate or the substrate; soft-landing the one or more metal ions on the MALDI plate or the substrate; and continuing the soft-landing for a specified period of time until a desired metal nanoparticle or cluster size is obtained; placing the MALDI plate or the substrate comprising the dried sample and the metal nanoparticle matrix in MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer; obtaining a MALDI-TOF spectra by operating the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer; and identifying, detecting or analyzing the one or more low mass analytes by a m/z ratio in the MALDI-TOF spectra.