The coupling of solid-phase microextraction/surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization to ion mobility spectrometry for drug analysis

The construction of a new solid-phase microextraction/surfaced enhanced laser desorption/ionization-ion mobility spectrometry (SPME/SELDI-IMS) device is reported here. A polypyrrole (PPY) coated SPME/SELDI fiber was employed as the extraction phase and SELDI surface to introduce analytes into the IMS. Analytes were directly ionized from the PPY coated fiber tip by a Nd:YAG laser without the addition of a matrix. Optimal experimental parameters, such as extraction conditions and laser parameters, were investigated. The use of a SPME/SELDI fiber simplified the sampling and sample preparation for IMS. Verapamil could be directly extracted from urine sample and analyzed by IMS without any further sample cleanup. This technique could be used for the analysis of drugs and other non-volatile compounds.