Plug-and-play laser ablation-mass spectrometry for molecular imaging by means of dielectric barrier discharge ionization

The plug-and-play hyphenation of UV-laser ablation (LA) and mass spectrometry is presented, using dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI). The DBDI source employed here is characterized by its unique geometry, being directly mounted onto the inlet capillary of a mass spectrometer. In the literature, this particular kind of DBDI source is also referred to as active capillary plasma ionization. It has been commercialized as soft ionization by chemical reaction in transfer (SICRIT) and will be addressed as DBDI in this study. LA-DBDI-MS was used for the direct, molecule-specific and spatially resolved analysis of various solid samples, such as coffee beans and pain killer tablets without extensive sample preparation. The combination of fast washout UV-laser ablation and the principle of the DBDI source used here allowed for highly efficient soft ionization as well as high spatial resolution down to 10 mm for molecular imaging. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The combination of UV-laser ablation and mass spectrometry using DBDI allows for molecule-specific and spatially resolved analysis of solid samples without extensive preparation. The fast washout UV-laser ablation and the unique geometry of the DBDI source enable highly efficient soft ionization and high spatial resolution down to 10 mm for molecular imaging.