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Schmidt M, Irsig R, Duca D, Peltz C, Passig J, Zimmermann R. Laser-Pulse-Length Effects in Ultrafast Laser Desorption. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18776-18782. [PMID: 38086534 PMCID: PMC10753527 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Shortening the laser pulse length opens up new opportunities for laser desorption (LD) of molecules, with benefits for mass spectrometry (MS) sampling and ionization. The capability to ablate any material without the need for an absorbing matrix and the decrease of thermal damage and molecular fragmentation has promoted various applications with very different parameters and postionization techniques. However, the key issues of the optimum laser pulse length and intensity to achieve efficient and gentle desorption of molecules for postionization in MS are not resolved, although these parameters determine the costs and complexity of the required laser system. Here, we address this research gap with a systematic study on the effect of the pulse length on the LD of molecules. Keeping all other optical and ionization parameters constant, we directly compared the pulses in the femtosecond, picosecond, and nanosecond range with respect to LD-induced fragmentation and desorption efficiency. To represent real-world applications, we investigated the LD of over-the-counter medicaments naproxen and ibuprofen directly from tablets as well as the LD of retene and ship emission aerosols from a quartz filter. With our study design, we excluded interfering effects on fragmentation and LD efficiency from, for example, collisional cooling or postionization by performing the experiments in vacuum with resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization as the postionization technique. Regarding LD-induced fragmentation, we already found benefits for the picosecond pulses. However, the efficiency of LD was found to continuously increase with decreasing pulse length, pointing to the application potential of ultrashort pulses in trace analytics. Because many interfering effects beyond the LD pulse length could be excluded in the experiment, our results may be directly transferable to the LD applied in other techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Schmidt
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Robert Irsig
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Photonion
GmbH, 19061 Schwerin, Germany
| | - Dumitru Duca
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Christian Peltz
- Institute
for Physics, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Johannes Passig
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Ralf Zimmermann
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Analytical Chemistry, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81379 Munich, Germany
- Department
Life, Light & Matter, University of
Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
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2
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Zagorac T, López Peña HA, Gross JM, Tibbetts KM, Hanley L. Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Tricyclic Antidepressants by Ultraviolet Picosecond Laser Desorption Post-Ionization Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2023; 95:17541-17549. [PMID: 37983268 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Imipramine class tricyclic antidepressants have low ionization efficiencies that make them difficult to detect by using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Ultraviolet picosecond laser desorption postionization (ps-LDPI-MS) is examined here for the detection of four tricyclic antidepressants: imipramine, desipramine, amitriptyline, and clomipramine. About 30 ps laser pulses at either 213 nm (5.8 eV) or 355 nm (3.5 eV) are used for desorption of samples under vacuum, 7.9 eV (157 nm) fluorine laser pulses are used for post-ionization, and the ions so formed are detected by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Detection of imipramine by 213 nm ps-LDPI-MS shows less fragmentation than either 355 nm ps-LDPI-MS or prior results from 800 nm fs-LDPI-MS. Ionization energies of imipramine, desipramine, amitriptyline, and clomipramine are predicted using density functional theory calculations and used to explain the corresponding ps-LDPI-MS data for these four compounds as resulting from single-photon ionization. The experimental observation of low-mass amine-containing fragments with calculated ionization energies below 7.9 eV is attributed mostly to dissociation during laser desorption, followed by single-photon ionization of the neutral fragments rather than the more traditional mechanism of unimolecular dissociation following single-photon ionization of the parent molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Zagorac
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
| | - Hugo Andrés López Peña
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
| | - Jason M Gross
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
| | - Katharine Moore Tibbetts
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States
| | - Luke Hanley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
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3
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Hua Y, Strauss M, Fisher S, Mauser MFX, Manchet P, Smacchia M, Geyer P, Shayeghi A, Pfeffer M, Eggenweiler TH, Daly S, Commandeur J, Mayor M, Arndt M, Šolomek T, Köhler V. Giving the Green Light to Photochemical Uncaging of Large Biomolecules in High Vacuum. JACS AU 2023; 3:2790-2799. [PMID: 37885583 PMCID: PMC10598566 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The isolation of biomolecules in a high vacuum enables experiments on fragile species in the absence of a perturbing environment. Since many molecular properties are influenced by local electric fields, here we seek to gain control over the number of charges on a biopolymer by photochemical uncaging. We present the design, modeling, and synthesis of photoactive molecular tags, their labeling to peptides and proteins as well as their photochemical validation in solution and in the gas phase. The tailored tags can be selectively cleaved off at a well-defined time and without the need for any external charge-transferring agents. The energy of a single or two green photons can already trigger the process, and it is soft enough to ensure the integrity of the released biomolecular cargo. We exploit differences in the cleavage pathways in solution and in vacuum and observe a surprising robustness in upscaling the approach from a model system to genuine proteins. The interaction wavelength of 532 nm is compatible with various biomolecular entities, such as oligonucleotides or oligosaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Hua
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johannsring 19, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Strauss
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sergey Fisher
- Van’t
Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martin F. X. Mauser
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Pierre Manchet
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Smacchia
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Geyer
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Armin Shayeghi
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Pfeffer
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johannsring 19, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Henri Eggenweiler
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johannsring 19, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Steven Daly
- MS
Vision, Televisieweg
40, 1322 AM Almere, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Commandeur
- MS
Vision, Televisieweg
40, 1322 AM Almere, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Mayor
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johannsring 19, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Institute
for Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology (KIT), P.O. Box 3640, DE-76021 Karlsruhe Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Lehn Institute
of Functional Materials, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510274, P. R. China
| | - Markus Arndt
- Vienna
Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna,
VDSP & VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomáš Šolomek
- Van’t
Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valentin Köhler
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johannsring 19, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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4
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Schätti J, Köhler V, Mayor M, Fein YY, Geyer P, Mairhofer L, Gerlich S, Arndt M. Matter-wave interference and deflection of tripeptides decorated with fluorinated alkyl chains. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2020; 55:e4514. [PMID: 32363659 PMCID: PMC7317408 DOI: 10.1002/jms.4514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Studies of neutral biomolecules in the gas phase allow for the study of molecular properties in the absence of solvent and charge effects, thus complementing spectroscopic and analytical methods in solution or in ion traps. Some properties, such as the static electronic susceptibility, are best accessed in experiments that act on the motion of the neutral molecules in an electric field. Here, we screen seven peptides for their thermal stability and electron impact ionizability. We identify two tripeptides as sufficiently volatile and thermostable to be evaporated and interfered in the long-baseline universal matter-wave interferometer. Monitoring the deflection of the interferometric molecular nanopattern in a tailored external electric field allows us to measure the static molecular susceptibility of Ala-Trp-Ala and Ala-Ala-Trp bearing fluorinated alkyl chains at C- and N-termini. The respective values are 4 π ε 0 × 330 ± 150 Å 3 and 4 π ε 0 × 270 ± 80 Å 3 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Schätti
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of BaselCH‐St. Johannsring 1Basel4056Switzerland
| | - Valentin Köhler
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of BaselCH‐St. Johannsring 1Basel4056Switzerland
| | - Marcel Mayor
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of BaselCH‐St. Johannsring 1Basel4056Switzerland
- Institute of NanotechnologyKarlsruhe Institute of TechnologyHermann‐von‐Helmholtz‐Platz 1, 76344Eggenstein‐LeopoldshafenGermany
- Lehn Institute of Functional Materials (LIFM)Sun Yat‐Sen University (SYSU)XinGangXi Rd. 135, 510275GuangzhouChina
| | - Yaakov Y. Fein
- Faculty of PhysicsUniversity of ViennaBoltzmanngasse 5, 1090ViennaAustria
| | - Philipp Geyer
- Faculty of PhysicsUniversity of ViennaBoltzmanngasse 5, 1090ViennaAustria
| | - Lukas Mairhofer
- Faculty of PhysicsUniversity of ViennaBoltzmanngasse 5, 1090ViennaAustria
| | - Stefan Gerlich
- Faculty of PhysicsUniversity of ViennaBoltzmanngasse 5, 1090ViennaAustria
| | - Markus Arndt
- Faculty of PhysicsUniversity of ViennaBoltzmanngasse 5, 1090ViennaAustria
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5
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Shayeghi A, Rieser P, Richter G, Sezer U, Rodewald JH, Geyer P, Martinez TJ, Arndt M. Matter-wave interference of a native polypeptide. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1447. [PMID: 32193414 PMCID: PMC7081299 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15280-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The de Broglie wave nature of matter is a paradigmatic example of quantum physics and it has been exploited in precision measurements of forces and fundamental constants. However, matter-wave interferometry has remained an outstanding challenge for natural polypeptides, building blocks of life, which are fragile and difficult to handle. Here, we demonstrate the wave nature of gramicidin, a natural antibiotic composed of 15 amino acids. Its center of mass is delocalized over more than 20 times the molecular size in our time-domain Talbot-Lau interferometer. We compare the observed interference fringes with a model that includes both a rigorous treatment of the peptide’s quantum wave nature as well as a quantum chemical assessment of its optical properties to distinguish our result from classical predictions. The realization of quantum optics with this prototypical biomolecule paves the way for quantum-assisted measurements on a large class of biologically relevant molecules. Matter-wave interferometry of complex molecules is challenging due to difficulties in preparing and detecting molecular beams. Here the authors demonstrate quantum behavior of a polypeptide using matter-wave interference in an all-optical time-domain Talbot-Lau interferometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Shayeghi
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - P Rieser
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - G Richter
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - U Sezer
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - J H Rodewald
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - P Geyer
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - T J Martinez
- Department of Chemistry and the PULSE Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - M Arndt
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, VCQ, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
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