Desorption mass spectral imaging

Successful imaging of samples directly from TLC plates with high spatial and mass resolution and sensitivity was demonstrated using FAB and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Busch et al., 1992). Sophisticated two-dimensional scanners have been based on LSIMS (Busch, 1996). The use of laser desorption (LD) in connection with TLC is of interest because very small areas of spots (a few micrometers) can be sampled, the majority of the sample is unchanged for further study, and a liquid matrix is not required (Somsen et al., 1995). The TLC/ FAB-MS-MS technique has been applied to the analysis of nucleotides and bases in order to gain more spectral information and eliminate background matrix interferences found with TLC/FAB-MS (Morden and Wilson, 1995). Instrumentation, procedures, and applications of TLC/MS were reviewed in detail by Busch (1992, 1996). 

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