A sheathless nanoflow electrospray interface for on-line capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2003 Apr 1;75(7):1615-9. doi: 10.1021/ac020661+.

Abstract

A novel, rugged capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization (CE-ESI) interface where the separation column, an electrical porous junction, and the spray tip are integrated on a single piece of a fused-silica capillary is described. ESI is accomplished by applying an electrical potential through an easily prepared porous junction across a 3-4-mm length of fused silica. A stable electrospray is produced at nanoflow rates generated in the capillary by electrophoretic and electroosmotic forces. The interface is particularly well suited for the detection of low-femtomole levels of proteins and peptides. The ruggedness of this interface was evident by the continuous operation of the same column for over a 2-week period with no detectable deterioration in separation or electrospray performance. The new interface was used for the LC-ESI-MS separation and analysis of peptides and proteins. Injection of 25 fmol of [Glu1]-fibrinopeptide B using the new device produced a CE-ESI-MS electropherogram with a signal-to-noise ratio of over 100 for this peptide.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Apoproteins / analysis
  • Apoproteins / chemistry
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Electrophoresis, Capillary / instrumentation
  • Electrophoresis, Capillary / methods*
  • Fibrinopeptide B / analysis
  • Fibrinopeptide B / chemistry
  • Horses
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Myoglobin / analysis
  • Myoglobin / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Proteins / analysis*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / instrumentation
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Apoproteins
  • Myoglobin
  • Proteins
  • apomyoglobin
  • Fibrinopeptide B