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Thermally annealed gold nanoparticles for surface-assisted laser desorption ionisation–mass spectrometry of low molecular weight analytes

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Abstract

Metal nanomaterials have an emerging role in surface-assisted laser desorption ionisation–mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) providing a useful tool to overcome some limitations intrinsically related to the use of conventional organic matrices in matrix-assisted LDI-MS. In this contribution, the possibility to use a stainless-steel-supported gold nanoparticle (AuNP) film as a versatile platform for SALDI-MS was assessed. A sacrificial anode electrosynthetic route was chosen in order to obtain morphologically controlled core–shell AuNPs; the colloidal AuNPs were, thereafter, drop cast onto a stainless-steel sample plate and the resulting AuNP film was thermally annealed in order to improve its effectiveness as LDI-MS promoter. Spectroscopic characterization of the nanostructured film by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was crucial for understanding how annealing induced changes in the surface chemistry and influenced the performance of AuNPs as desorption/ionisation promoter. In particular, it was demonstrated that the post-deposition treatments were essential to enhance the AuNP core/analyte interaction, thus resulting in SALDI-MS spectra of significantly improved quality. The AuNP films were applied to the detection of three different classes of low molecular weight (LMW) analytes, i.e. amino acids, peptides and LMW polymers, in order to demonstrate the versatility of this nanostructured material.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Italian Project ‘Nanomaterials & laser ionisation mass spectrometry: a new bio-analytical approach’ FIRB Futuro in Ricerca 2008, funded by the Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca. The Laboratory ‘‘Laboratorio di tecnologie di modificazione superficiale di fibre naturali per il rilancio del settore tessile in Puglia-Avviso pubblico Reti di Laboratori Pubblici di Ricerca, Regione Puglia’’ is acknowledged for providing access to the TEM facility. Prof. G. Scamarcio is gratefully thanked for providing access to the SEM facility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona, 4, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Rosa Pilolli, Nicoletta Ditaranto, Francesco Palmisano & Nicola Cioffi

  2. Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council, Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Rosa Pilolli

  3. CNR-IFN, Bari, Via Amendola 173, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Cinzia Di Franco

  4. Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca S.M.A.R.T., Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona, 4, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Francesco Palmisano & Nicola Cioffi

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  1. Rosa Pilolli
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  2. Nicoletta Ditaranto
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  3. Cinzia Di Franco
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  4. Francesco Palmisano
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  5. Nicola Cioffi
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Correspondence to Rosa Pilolli.

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Pilolli, R., Ditaranto, N., Di Franco, C. et al. Thermally annealed gold nanoparticles for surface-assisted laser desorption ionisation–mass spectrometry of low molecular weight analytes. Anal Bioanal Chem 404, 1703–1711 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-6243-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-6243-9

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