Rapid characterization of chemical compounds in liquid and solid states using thermal desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Rapid characterization of thermally stable chemical compounds in solid or liquid states is achieved through thermal desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS). A feature of this technique is that sampling, desorption, ionization, and mass spectrometric detection are four separate events with respect to time and location. A metal probe was used to sample analytes in their solid or liquid states. The probe was then inserted in a preheated oven to thermally desorb the analytes on the probe. The desorbed analytes were carried by a nitrogen gas stream into an ESI plume, where analyte ions were formed via interactions with charged solvent species generated in the ESI plume. The analyte ions were subsequently detected by a mass analyzer attached to the TD-ESI source. Quantification of acetaminophen in aqueous solutions using TD-ESI/MS was also performed in which a linear response for acetaminophen was obtained between 25 and 500 ppb (R(2) = 0.9978). The standard deviation for a reproducibility test for ten liquid samples was 9.6%. Since sample preparation for TD-ESI/MS is unnecessary, a typical analysis can be completed in less than 10 s. Analytes such as the active ingredients in over-the-counter drugs were rapidly characterized regardless of the different physical properties of said drugs, which included liquid eye drops, viscous cold syrup solution, ointment cream, and a drug tablet. This approach was also used to detect trace chemical compounds in illicit drugs and explosives, in which samples were obtained from the surfaces of a cell phone, piece of luggage made from hard plastic, business card, and wooden desk.