1. DRILL: An Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Interface for Improved Sensitivity via Inertial Droplet Sorting and Electrohydrodynamic Focusing in a Swirling Flow
- Author
-
Peter A. Kottke, Matthew P. Torres, Alex P. Jonke, Andrei G. Fedorov, David C. Muddiman, Elizabeth M. Hecht, Jung Y. Lee, and Chinthaka A. Seneviratne
- Subjects
Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ,Drill ,010405 organic chemistry ,Chemistry ,Angiotensin II ,Electrospray ionization ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Selected reaction monitoring ,Analytical chemistry ,Mass spectrometry ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,0104 chemical sciences ,Analytical Chemistry ,Ion ,Limit of Detection ,Drag ,Isotope Labeling ,Humans ,Electrohydrodynamics ,Angiotensin I ,Peptides ,Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - Abstract
We describe the DRILL (dry ion localization and locomotion) device, which is an interface for electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS) that exploits a swirling flow to enable the use of inertial separation to prescribe different fates for electrosprayed droplets based on their size. This source adds a new approach to charged droplet trajectory manipulation which, when combined with hydrodynamic drag forces and electric field forces, provides a rich range of possible DRILL operational modes. Here, we experimentally demonstrate sensitivity improvement obtained via vortex-induced inertial sorting of electrosprayed droplets/ions: one possible mode of DRILL operation. In this mode, DRILL removes larger droplets while accelerating the remainder of the ESI plume, producing a high velocity stream of gas-enriched spray with small, highly charged droplets and ions and directing it toward the MS inlet. The improved signal-to-noise ratio (10-fold enhancement) in the detection of angiotensin I is demonstrated using the DRILL interface coupled to ESI-MS along with an improved limit of detection (10-fold enhancement, 100 picomole) in the detection of angiotensin II. The utility of DRILL has also been demonstrated by liquid chromatography (LC)-MS: a stable isotope labeled peptide cocktail was spiked into a complex native tissue extract and quantified by unscheduled multiple reaction monitoring on a TSQ Vantage. DRILL demonstrated improved signal strength (up to a 700-fold) for 8 out of 9 peptides and had no effects on the peak shape of the transitions.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF