Design and Implementation of a Proof-of-Concept Robotic-Microfluidic Interface to Bridge Spatial Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry

A proof-of-concept system is presented for the hyphenation of spatial comprehensive three-dimensional liquid chromatography (3D-LC) to mass spectrometry (MS) detection via a robotic-microfluidic interface. A three-dimensional fractal microflow distributor, incorporating 16 parallel RP monolithic capillary columns arranged in a 4 × 4 configuration, was connected to an X-Y-Z robotic system. This setup facilitated the deposition of successive arrays of microdroplets onto an MS target plate. To minimize carryover during droplet deposition, a strategy was implemented in which the distance between the target plate and the capillary was gradually increased during the deposition process. System-level variation in travel time and subsequent flow rates across parallel columns was assessed and translated in retention alignment based on injection of a protein standard. The successful separation of intact proteins was demonstrated through a parallel 4 × 4 column configuration, applying MALDI-MS detection after microdroplet spotting on an MS target plate. Furthermore, the discussion encompasses high-throughput MS imaging detection within the framework of spatial 3D-LC.

Toward Unrivaled Chromatographic Resolving Power in Proteomics: Design and Development of Comprehensive Spatial Three-Dimensional Liquid-Phase Separation Technology

Spatial comprehensive three-dimensional chromatography (3D-LC) offers an innovative approach to achieve unprecedented resolving power in terms of peak capacity and sample throughput. This advanced technique separates components within a 3D separation space, where orthogonal retention mechanisms are incorporated. The parallel development of the second- and third-dimension stages effectively overcomes the inherent limitation of conventional multidimensional approaches, where sampled fractions are analyzed sequentially. This review focuses on the design aspects of the microchip for spatial 3D-LC and the selection of orthogonal separation modes to enable the analysis of intact proteins. The design considerations for the flow distributor and channel layout are discussed, along with various approaches to confine the flow during the subsequent development stages. Additionally, the integration of stationary phases into the microchip is addressed, and interfacing to mass spectrometry detection is discussed. According to Pareto optimality, the integration of isoelectric focusing, size-exclusion chromatography, and reversed-phase chromatography in a spatial 3D-LC approach is predicted to achieve an exceptional peak capacity of over 30,000 within a 1-h analysis, setting a new benchmark in chromatographic performance.

Concepts and recent advances in microchip electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry: Technologies and applications

The online coupling of microchip electrophoresis (ME) as a fast, highly efficient, and low-cost miniaturized separation technique to mass spectrometry (MS) as an information-rich and sensitive characterization technique results in ME-MS an attractive tool for various applications. In this paper, we review the basic concepts and latest advances in technology for ME coupled to MS during the period of 2016-2021, covering microchip materials, structures, fabrication techniques, and interfacing to electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-MS. Two critical issues in coupling ME and ESI-MS include the electrical connection used to define the electrophoretic field strength along the separation channel and the generation of the electrospray for MS detection, as well as, a miniaturized ESI-tip. The recent commercialization of ME-MS in zone electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing modes has led to the widespread application of these techniques in academia and industry. Here we summarize recent applications of ME-MS for the separation and detection of antibodies, proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, metabolites, and so on. Throughout the paper these applications are discussed in the context of benefits and limitations of ME-MS in comparison to alternative techniques.

Cell Analysis on Microfluidics Combined with Mass Spectrometry

Cell analysis is of great significance for the exploration of human diseases and health. However, there are not many techniques for high-throughput cell analysis in the simulated cell microenvironment. The high designability of the microfluidic chip enables multiple kinds of cells to be co-cultured on the chip, with other functions such as sample preprocessing and cell manipulation. Mass spectrometry (MS) can detect a large number of biomolecules without labelling. Therefore, the application of the microfluidic chip coupled with MS has represented a major branch of cell analysis over the past decades. Here, we concisely introduce various microfluidic devices coupled with MS used for cell analysis. The main functions of microfluidic devices are described first, followed by introductions of different interfaces with different types of MS. Then, their various applications in cell analysis are highlighted, with an emphasis on cell metabolism, drug screening, and signal transduction. Current limitations and prospective trends of microfluidics coupled with MS are discussed at the end.

Study on the Influencing Factors of the Atomization Rate in a Piezoceramic Vibrating Mesh Atomizer

On the basis of previous study in our research group, the phenomenon of the dynamic tapered angle was founded, the occurrence of atomization is regarded to derive from the combined effects of the dynamic variation of the micro-tapered aperture, and the difference between forward and reverse flow resistance has been explained by both theories and experiments. It has been revealed that the main influencing factors of the atomization rate are driving voltage, driving frequency, and so on, while the root causes of the various atomization rates still need to be further clarified. In this paper, a micro-tapered aperture worked as a micron-sized tapered flow tube valveless piezoelectric pump in periodic variation. The working principle of such a micro-tapered aperture atomizer was analyzed in detail, and the corresponding formula of the atomization rate was also established. Through measuring the atomization rates at different working frequencies (f), it was established that when the f was set as 122 kHz, the atomization rate reached a maximum value. By building the relationship between the atomization rate and voltage at a fixed resonance frequency, it can be seen that the atomization rate increased with the increase of driving voltage. Subsequently, in order to measure their atomization rates, the micro-tapered apertures of three different outlet diameters were applied, so that the atomization rate was enhanced with the increase of the micro-tapered aperture diameter. Moreover, through examining the atomization rates at different temperatures, it was observed that the atomization rate rose with increasing temperature; while changing the liquid concentration, the atomization rate was also enhanced by the increase in its concentration. Apparently, the impact factors including working frequency, driving voltage, outlet diameter, temperature, and liquid concentration all exert some effects on the atomization rate. It is worth noting that at the first stage, these influence factors indirectly work on the micro-tapered aperture structure or flow state, followed by further effects on the flow resistance. As above-mentioned, in this work, we considered that the root cause influencing the atomization rate in a piezoceramic vibrating mesh atomizer can be attributed to the flow resistance.