Wang Lei, Zhao Pengyue, Zhang Fengzu, Bai Aijuan, Pan Canping
China Agricultural University, College of Science, Department of Applied Chemistry, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
J AOAC Int. 2013 Mar-Apr;96(2):353-6. doi: 10.5740/jaoacint.12-160.
Ambient ionization direct analysis in real time (DART) coupled to single-quadrupole MS (DART-MS) was evaluated for rapid detection of caffeine in commercial samples without chromatographic separation or sample preparation. Four commercial samples were examined: tea, instant coffee, green tea beverage, and soft drink. The response-related parameters were optimized for the DART temperature and MS fragmentor. Under optimal conditions, the molecular ion (M+H)+ was the major ion for identification of caffeine. The results showed that DART-MS is a promising tool for the quick analysis of important marker molecules in commercial samples. Furthermore, this system has demonstrated significant potential for high sample throughput and real-time analysis.
