Determination of nicotine in mainstream smoke on the single puff level by liquid-phase microextraction coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry

A method coupling liquid-phase microextraction with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LPME/MALDI-FTMS) was developed to measure the content of nicotine in mainstream smoke at the single puff level. Glycerol was utilized as a matrix additive in the sample preparation to improve the homogeneity of analyte distribution in a sample spot. Good repeatability of the MALDI-MS signal (RSD <9%) was achieved by the method. Selective LPME facilitated the separation and purification of basic components from cigarette smoke. The LPME device was coupled to a smoking machine, and each puff of one cigarette could be gathered by this modified machine. The amount of nicotine in the mainstream smoke was measured at the single puff level by LPME/MALDI-FTMS. The method was simple and selective and was sufficiently sensitive to detect nicotine in each puff of one cigarette. The method thus offered an alternative approach to the study of the formation mechanism of cigarette smoke constituents.