Author Correction: Surface acoustic wave nebulization improves compound selectivity of low-temperature plasma ionization for mass spectrometry

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Surface acoustic wave nebulization improves compound selectivity of low-temperature plasma ionization for mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry coupled to low-temperature plasma ionization (LTPI) allows for immediate and easy analysis of compounds from the surface of a sample at ambient conditions. The efficiency of this process, however, strongly depends on the successful desorption of the analyte from the surface to the gas phase. Whilst conventional sample heating can improve analyte desorption, heating is not desirable with respect to the stability of thermally labile analytes. In this study using aromatic amines as model compounds, we demonstrate that (1) surface acoustic wave nebulization (SAWN) can significantly improve compound desorption for LTPI without heating the sample. Furthermore, (2) SAWN-assisted LTPI shows a response enhancement up to a factor of 8 for polar compounds such as aminophenols and phenylenediamines suggesting a paradigm shift in the ionization mechanism. Additional assets of the new technique demonstrated here are (3) a reduced analyte selectivity (the interquartile range of the response decreased by a factor of 7)—a significant benefit in non-targeted analysis of complex samples—and (4) the possibility for automated online monitoring using an autosampler. Finally, (5) the small size of the microfluidic SAWN-chip enables the implementation of the method into miniaturized, mobile LTPI probes.

Droplet delivery and nebulization system using surface acoustic wave for mass spectrometry

We present a piezoelectric transducer for standing wave surface acoustic wave nebulization (SW-SAWN) patterned with anisotropic ratchet conveyors (ARCs) to automate the sample preparation and droplet delivery.

In situ generation of plasma-activated aerosols via surface acoustic wave nebulization for portable spray-based surface bacterial inactivation

We demonstrate an efficient technique for in situ production and application of plasma-activated aerosols for surface disinfection.