High detection sensitivity achieved with cryogenic detectors in combination with matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Eur. J. Mass Spectrom. 10, 469–476 (2004)
DOI: 10.1255/ejms.654

High detection sensitivity achieved with cryogenic detectors in combination with matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry

P. Christ,^* S. Rutzinger, W. Seidel, S. Uchaikin and F. Pröbst
Max Planck Institut für Physik, Föhringer Ring 6, 80805 München, Germany. E-mail: christ@mppmu.mpg.de
C. Koy and M.O. Glocker
Proteome Center Rostock, Joachim-Jungius-Str. 9, 18059 Rostock, Germany

ABSTRACT:

Cryogenic detectors directly measure the impact energy of any impinging particle independent of its velocity. Thus a very high, mass-independent, detection efficiency is expected from their application in TOF-MS. The cryogenic detector applied here is based on a superconducting phase-transition thermometer and was implemented in a dual reflector time-of-flight mass spectrometer (N-geometry). A dilution series using standard sample preparation procedures shows that the detection limit for insulin (Mr: 5,734) can be decreased by several orders of magnitude, down to 0.5 amol on the MALDI target. Detection limits for rhM-CSF β (M_r: 49,032) and for polyclonal IgG (M_r: ca 150,000) in the high femtomole and low picomole range, respectively, were established.

Keywords: cryogenic detector, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, MALDI, insulin, detection limit

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