Characterization of the Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mechanism Using Microscopic Imaging of the Sample Surface

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is an ambient ionization technique for mass spectrometry. This solvent based desorption ion source has wide applicability in surface analysis with minimal sample preparation. Interest in improving detection limits, broadening applications, and increasing the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wood, Michael Craig
Format: Others
Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2826
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3825&context=etd
Description
Summary:Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is an ambient ionization technique for mass spectrometry. This solvent based desorption ion source has wide applicability in surface analysis with minimal sample preparation. Interest in improving detection limits, broadening applications, and increasing the spatial resolution for chemical imaging has led to studies of the DESI mechanism. An inverted microscope has been used to image interactions between the DESI spray and test analytes on a glass surface. Microscopic images recorded with millisecond time resolution have provided important insights into the processes governing analyte transport and desorption. These insights are the basis of a rivulet-based model for desorption that differs significantly from the widely-accepted momentum transfer model.