Abstract
Sheathless electrospray at nL/min flow rates combined with Fourier-transform mass spectrometry has made possible high resolving power (>50,000) mass spectra of subattomole samples of >8 kDa proteins separated by capillary electrophoresis (Valaskovic, G. A.; Kelleher, N. L.; McLafferty, F. W. Science, 1996, 273, 1199–1202). However, for this new method the mechanical stability of the thin (35 to 100 nm) gold film electrodes has limited tip lifetime to 15 to 30 min. A technique for SiO x coating of the gold is described that provides a steady ion current (±10 pA) for 1 to 2 h, even with arcs or interruptions of the electrospray voltage.
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Commercial production of these tips is being pursued by one of the authors (GAV).
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Valaskovic, G.A., McLafferty, F.W. Long-lived metallized tips for nanoliter electrospray mass spectrometry. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 7, 1270–1272 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1044-0305(96)00152-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1044-0305(96)00152-3