The use of dicationic ion-pairing compounds to enhance the ambient detection of surface lipids in positive ionization mode using desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Lipids are typically analysed in negative ionisation mode in desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (DESI-MS), which can result in reduced sensitivity. In this study we examine the use of dicationic compounds as reactive DESI-MS agents to detect a range of lipid standards from the surface in positive ionisation mode.

METHODS

Nine dicationic compounds were tested for their ability to detect seven representative lipid species (palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid, phosphatidic acid (34:1), phosphoethanolamine (34:2), phosphatidylglycerol (34:1), phosphatidylserine (36:1), and phosphoinositol (34:2)) with a 2D DESI source on hydrophobic surfaces. Two different solvent systems (methanol/chloroform (1:1) and methanol) were tested with each dicationic compound, with the DESI-MS analysis performed in the positive ionisation mode.

RESULTS

Most of the dications tested were able to form stable ion-pairs with the negatively charged lipid species when analysed from the surface with DESI-MS, and were detected readily in positive ionisation electrospray mode as singly charged species. The optimal solvent system was found to be methanol. The dicationic compound [C6(C1Pyrr)2][Br]2 was found to enhance the detection of palmitoleic acid (638%), linoleic acid (304%) and phosphoethanolamine (269%) compared with the negative ionisation mode.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate the first successful application of dicationic compounds in DESI-MS for the ambient surface detection of model lipids in positive electrospray ionisation mode. Dicationic compounds could potentially be used as reactive DESI-MS agents to improve the ambient detection of a number of negatively charged analytes.