Issue 42, 2014

Graphene nanoflakes as an efficient ionizing matrix for MALDI-MS based lipidomics of cancer cells and cancer stem cells

Abstract

This study demonstrates that graphene nanoflakes can be efficiently used as a successful, interference free matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The method is referred to as graphene-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (GALDI-MS), and it can be used for lipidomic analysis of cancer cells and cancer stem cells. The graphene nanoflakes were synthesized in-house and exhibited a transparent flake-like shape with characteristic crumpled silk waves in transmission electron microscopy and typical absorption characteristics upon UV-vis (λmax = 270 nm) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis. Graphene nanoflakes were tested as a sole matrix and co-matrix with traditional MALDI-MS matrices for the lipid extracts obtained from normal breast, cancer and cancer stem cells with four different spotting methods. In all the cases, the graphene nanoflakes displayed a noise free and good quality mass spectrum. This study reveals the possibility that lipids could self-assemble as a multi-layered structure on the graphene nanoflake platform by electrostatic interactions between the graphene nanoflakes and the lipid head groups and thus result in noise-free spectra from GALDI-MS based lipidomics.

Graphical abstract: Graphene nanoflakes as an efficient ionizing matrix for MALDI-MS based lipidomics of cancer cells and cancer stem cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Jun 2014
Accepted
08 Aug 2014
First published
08 Aug 2014

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014,2, 7334-7343

Author version available

Graphene nanoflakes as an efficient ionizing matrix for MALDI-MS based lipidomics of cancer cells and cancer stem cells

P. Hua, M. Manikandan, H. N. Abdelhamid and H. Wu, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014, 2, 7334 DOI: 10.1039/C4TB00970C

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