Proton-propelled methyl-tert-butyl ether extraction for highly efficient mass spectrometric analysis of phospholipids in human plasma

Abstract

Proton-driven molecular partitioning on aqueous/organic interfaces has significantly improved the collection efficiency of bipolar phospholipids during two-phase liquid/liquid extraction, and it has enabled supra-sensitivity in tandem mass spectrometric analysis. The underlying mechanism has been proposed by the combined factors of ion-pair and charge transfer, in which phospholipids selectively penetrate the organic/aqueous interface due to their distinct pK_a value and intrinsic hydrophobicity.