Identification of low molecular weight carbohydrates employing new binary mixtures for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry

Various energy-absorbing substances, aminopyrazine (AP), 4,4'-azodianiline (ADA), and 1-chloro-4-hydroxyisoquinoline (CHIQ), together with their binary mixtures with existing acidic MALDI matrices were subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and evaluated for the analysis of low molecular weight carbohydrates. The newly introduced systems, especially AP and the combination of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and aminopyrazine (DHB-AP), have solved almost all the existing problems of the generally low sensitivity of carbohydrate analysis and of the strong background noise produced from single acidic matrices. In fact, especially at a mixing ratio of 3:1 (DHB/AP), outstanding results could be achieved, enabling the detection of analytes down to a concentration of 4 fmol/mu L with mass accuracy of 37 ppm. The performance of the system was finally proven by analysing dextrins and biological samples each of which showed excellent signal intensity and signal-to-noise ratio. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.