Dual mass spectrometers with plasma-based ion sources for multiplex imaging of elements and biomolecules

Abstract

Simultaneous imaging analysis of both elements and biomolecules was conducted by the split-flow laser ablation technique using two mass spectrometers equipped with different plasma-based ion sources. The laser-induced sample particles were split into two streams, and introduced into inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for detection of elements through hard ionisation, and dielectric barrier discharge ionization mass spectrometry (DBDI-MS) for detection of biomolecules through soft ionisation. Selenomethionine was used to optimise the heater current for DBDI-MS and to demonstrate the system's capability for simultaneous detection. The analytical capability of the present technique was demonstrated on mouse brain tissue sections, where elemental maps of Mg, P, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mo were generated alongside molecular images of lipids and metabolites such as cholesterol, ceramide, sulfatides, and adenine. The imaging results highlighted distinct spatial distributions of elements and biomolecules, correlating them with physiological and structural regions of the brain.

Graphical abstract: Dual mass spectrometers with plasma-based ion sources for multiplex imaging of elements and biomolecules

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Feb 2025
Accepted
29 May 2025
First published
16 Jun 2025

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2025, Advance Article

Dual mass spectrometers with plasma-based ion sources for multiplex imaging of elements and biomolecules

H. H. Khoo, A. Kubota, T. Matsukawa and T. Hirata, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5JA00039D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements