Tailored nanopost arrays (NAPA) for laser desorption ionization in mass spectrometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9490113-B2
Application number	US-75576910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2010
Priority date	Apr 7, 2009
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

The production and use of semiconducting nanopost arrays made by nanofabrication is described herein. These nanopost arrays (NAPA) provide improved laser ionization yields and controllable fragmentation with switching or modulation capabilities for mass spectrometric detection and identification of samples deposited on them.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry device, comprising:
i) a silicon nanopost array configured to hold surface deposited sample molecules without a matrix, said silicon nanopost array having a plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts;
ii) a pulsed laser configured to emit unpolarized radiation at said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules for desorption ionization;
iii) focusing optics based on lenses, mirrors, or a sharpened optical fiber configured to direct the unpolarized laser radiation at the plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules; and
iv) a mass spectrometer configured to analyze and detect the ions that are directly desorbed from said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts,
with the proviso that the tailored aspect ratio posts are not laser induced posts.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sample molecules are selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, dyes, explosives or explosive residues, narcotics, polymers, biomolecules, chemical warfare agents and their signatures, peptides, metabolites, lipids, oligosaccharides, proteins and other biomolecules, synthetic organics, drugs, and toxic chemicals.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the samples are microorganisms selected from the group consisting of unicellular eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses.

4. A sensor device, comprising:
a nanopost array having tailored aspect ratio posts and an ion source operatively connected to an input port of a mass spectrometer, wherein said mass spectrometer is within an evacuated housing, is connected to a power source, and has an output port for transmitting a signal generated by the interaction of the sample with the nanopost array, with the proviso that the tailored aspect ratio posts are not laser induced posts.

5. The sensor device of claim 4 , wherein the sample is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, dyes, explosives or explosive residues, narcotics, polymers, biomolecules, chemical warfare agents and their signatures, peptides, metabolites, lipids, oligosaccharides, proteins and other biomolecules, synthetic organics, drugs, and toxic chemicals.

6. The sensor device of claim 4 , wherein the samples are microorganisms selected from the group consisting of unicellular eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses.

7. The sensor device of claim 4 , wherein the sensor device is connected to a microfluidic device used for the separation of components in mixtures.

8. The sensor device of claim 4 , wherein the sensor device further comprises a microfluidic growth chamber for the growth of a microorganism.

9. A laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry device, comprising:
i) a silicon nanopost array configured to hold surface deposited sample molecules without a matrix, said silicon nanopost array having a plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts;
ii) a pulsed laser configured to emit unpolarized radiation at said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules for desorption ionization;
iii) focusing optics based on lenses, mirrors, or a sharpened optical fiber configured to direct the unpolarized laser radiation at the plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules; and
iv) a mass spectrometer configured to analyze and detect the ions that are directly desorbed from said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts, wherein the post has an aspect ratio defined as ratio of height to diameter between 4-10.

10. A laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry device, comprising:
i) a silicon nanopost array configured to hold surface deposited sample molecules without a matrix, said silicon nanopost array having a plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts;
ii) a pulsed laser configured to emit polarized radiation at said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules for desorption ionization;
iii) focusing optics based on lenses, mirrors, or a sharpened optical fiber configured to direct the polarized laser radiation at said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules; and
iv) a mass spectrometer configured to analyze and detect the ions that are directly desorbed from said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts,
with the proviso that the tailored aspect ratio posts are not laser induced posts.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the sample molecules are selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, dyes, explosives or explosive residues, narcotics, polymers, biomolecules, chemical warfare agents and their signatures, peptides, metabolites, lipids, oligosaccharides, proteins and other biomolecules, synthetic organics, drugs, and toxic chemicals.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the samples are microorganisms selected from the group consisting of unicellular eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses.

13. A laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry device, comprising:
i) a silicon nanopost array configured to hold surface deposited sample molecules without a matrix, said silicon nanopost array having a plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts;
ii) a pulsed laser configured to emit unpolarized radiation at said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules for desorption ionization;
iii) focusing optics based on lenses, mirrors, or a sharpened optical fiber configured to direct the unpolarized laser radiation at the plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts and the sample molecules; and
iv) a mass spectrometer configured to analyze and detect the ions that are directly desorbed from said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts,
wherein said plurality of tailored aspect ratio posts have a height and diameter that provides maximum ion yield.

Assignees

• Vertes Akos
• Walker Bennett N
• Stolee Jessica A
• Retterer Scott T
• Univ George Washington

Inventors

• Vertes Akos
• Walker Bennett N
• Stolee Jessica A
• Retterer Scott T

Classifications

• G01N33/6848

  Methods of protein analysis involving mass spectrometry · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• G01N33/6851 Primary

  Methods of protein analysis involving laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry · CPC title

• H01J49/0418 Primary

  for laser desorption, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation [MALDI] plates or surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation [SELDI] plates · CPC title

• G01N33/4833

  of solid biological material, e.g. tissue samples, cell cultures (tissue in vivo A61B5/00; cell suspensions G01N33/48735) · CPC title