A setup for the coupling of a thin-layer electrochemical flow cell to electrospray mass spectrometry

A novel setup for the coupling of a commercially available thin-layer cell to electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) which allows the electrochemical reactions at the counter electrode to be straightforwardly separated from the flow into the mass spectrometer has been developed. In this way, interferences from reaction products formed at the counter electrode can be minimized. This reduces the risk of changes in the mass spectra as a result of electrochemical reactions in the solution. The described setup also enables the working electrode to be positioned close to the electrospray (ESI) emitter without the need for a grounding point or a long transfer line between the electrochemical cell and the electrospray emitter. By decoupling the electrochemical reactions in the flow cell and those in the electrospray emitter, improved facilities for studies of electrochemical reactions are obtained through a better control of the potential of the working electrode. The setup has been used to study the oxidation of a drug (Olsalazine), which previously has been found to involve chemical follow-up reactions. It is also demonstrated that uncharged thiols can be detected in ESI-MS after spontaneous adsorption on a gold working electrode, followed by oxidative desorption to yield sulfinates or sulfonates. Ibis adsorption and potential-controlled desorption has been used for the preconcentration of micromolar concentrations of 1-hexanethiol as well as for desalting of solutions containing micromolar concentrations of thiols. The results indicate that the present online coupling of an electrochemical cell to ESI-MS provides promising possibilities for sample preconcentration, matrix exchange (including desalting), and ionization of neutral compounds, such as thiols.