Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Application and Prospective

Abstract

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a formidable analytical tool for the analysis of non-polar to polar compounds individually and/or from mixtures, providing information on the molecular weights and chemical structures of the analytes. During the last more than one-decade, ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS) has developed quickly, producing a wide range of platforms and proving scientific improvements in a variety of domains, from biological imaging to quick quality control. These methods have made it possible to detect target analytes in real time without sample preparation in an open environment, and they can be connected to any MS system with an atmospheric pressure interface. They also have the ability to analyze explosives, illicit drugs, disease diagnostics, drugs in biological samples, adulterants in food and agricultural products, reaction progress, and environmental monitoring. The development of novel ambient ionization techniques, such as probe electrospray ionization, paper spray ionization, and fiber spray ionization, employed even at picolitre to femtolitre solution levels to provide femtogram to attogram levels of the target analytes. The special characteristic of this ambient ion source, which has been extensively used, is the noninvasive property of PESI of examination of biological real samples. The results in the current review supports the idea that AIMS has emerged as a pioneer in MS-based approaches and that methods will continue to be developed along with improvements to existing ones in the near future.

Keywords:

• Ambient mass spectrometry
• high throughput analysis

Author contributions

LS: conceptualization, writing original draft-review, AH: conceptualization, writing original draft-review, and final review & editing. LB: conceptualization and funding acquisition. HH: conceptualization and funding acquisition. RB: final review & editing; LW: conceptualization, supervision, final review & editing, and funding acquisition. All the authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgment

AH would like to thanks to Prof. Kenzo Hiraoka, University of Yamanashi, Japan for hiring as a postdoctoral fellow for the development of new ion sources for mass spectrometry (2011-2013). This is a short text to acknowledge the contributions of specific colleagues, institutions, or agencies that aided the efforts of the authors.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support for this work by the Zhejiang Provincial Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021C03135), the Entrepreneurial and Innovative Leading Team of Panyu District of Guangzhou of China (Grant No. 2017-R01-5) and the K.C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University.