Laser desorption ionization of small molecules assisted by tungsten oxide and rhenium oxide particles

Inorganic metal oxides have shown potential as matrices for assisting in laser desorption ionization with advantages over the aromatic acids typically used. Rhenium and tungsten oxides are attractive options due to their high work functions and relative chemical inertness. In this work, it is shown that ReO₃ and WO₃, in microparticle (μP) powder forms, can efficiently facilitate ionization of various types of small molecules and provide minimized background contamination at analyte concentrations below 1 ng/µL. This study shows that untreated inorganic WO₃ and ReO₃ particles are valid matrix options for detection of protonatable, radical, and precharged species under laser desorption ionization. Qualitatively, the WO₃ μP showed improved detection of apigenin, sodiated glucose, and precharged analyte choline, while the ReO₃ μP allowed better detection of protonated cocaine, quinuclidine, ametryn, and radical ions of polyaromatic hydrocarbons at detection levels as low as 50 pg/µL. For thermometer ion survival yield experiments, it was also shown that the ReO₃ powder was significantly softer than α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnaminic acid. Furthermore, it provided higher intensities of cocaine and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, at laser flux values equal to those used with α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnaminic acid. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.