P 11 - Improving Direct MS Analysis Through a Novel 2DμCFs Fractionation System.

Lei Yanga, Donatella Nardiellob, Maurizio Quintoa,b, Donghao Lia

aDepartment of Chemistry, Interdisciplinary Program of Biological Functional Molecules, College of Integration Science, Yanbian University, Park Road 977, Yanji City, Jilin Province, 133002, PR China,
bDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Natural resource, and Engineering (DAFNE), via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy. 

A novel high-throughput, solvent-saving and versatile integrated two-dimensional microscale carbon fiber/active carbon fiber system (2DμCFs) that allows a simple and rapid separation of compounds in low-, medium-, and high-polar fractions has been realized thanks to a collaboration between the Yanbian University (China) and the University of Foggia (Italy). The device has been characterized and fruitfully exploited for the screening and quantitative analyses of real samples [1]. The 2DμCFs device is constituted by a two-dimensional system with two small columns with carbon and active carbon μ-fibers as stationary phases. The fibers adsorbing properties have been conveniently used to create a device able to perform a fast (< 7 min) and low-pressure separation of complex extract samples into three fractions, based on compound polarities. This device represents a compromise between the classical chromatographic separation and the direct MS approach, combining their advantages, in terms of analysis time, choice of chromatographic columns, pretreatment procedure customization, interference reduction, and ionization suppression effects. The 2DμCFs gives a concrete answer to the urgent need for reliable and high-throughput screening and/or quantification methods for compound determination in real samples, ranging from low to high contents and polarities. It has been demonstrated that analysis time of 2DμCFs–ESI–MS is considered comparable with direct MS methods, but the number of detected compounds, due to the significant reduction of both background noise and ion suppression effect, is similar to those obtained with classical chromatographic methods. Numerous applications with complex real samples have been studied and published in the last year [2-5], and new research is currently under study in our laboratories.

Keywords: MS-direct, microextractions, carbon microfibers, fractionation system  

References

1. Ma B., Zou Y., Xie X., Zhao J., Piao X., Piao J., Yao Z., Quinto M., Wang G., Li D. Journal of Chromatography A, 2017, pp. 1 – 9, DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2017.04.047.

2. Jon C.-S., Yang L., Wang Z., Cui M., Sun H., Wang L., Liu L., Nardiello D., Quinto M., He M., Li D. Analyst, 2022, pp. 819 – 827, DOI: 10.1039/d1an02130c.

3. Yang L., Cui H., Cui M., Qiu Y., Shao M., Zhu Y., Liu Y., Nardiello D., Quinto M., Shang H.-B., Liu H., Li D. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2025, 116791, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2025.116791.

4. Yang L., Hong L., Qiu Y., Cui M., Nardiello D., Quinto M., Yu C., Zhao J., Li D. Journal of Chromatography A, 2025, 465802, DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2025.465802.

5. Yang L., Yu Y., Qiu Y., Chen Z., Cui M., Shao M., Nardiello D., Quinto M., Yu C., Li D. Talanta, 2025, 127617, DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.127617.