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Characterization of Rhodamine Self-Assembled Films Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

  • Research Article
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Journal of The American Society for Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Growth process information and molecular structure identification are very important for characterization of self-assembled films. Here, we explore the possible application of desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) that provides the assembled information of rhodamine B (Rh B) and rhodamine 123 (Rh 123) films. With the help of lab-made DESI source, two characteristic ions [Rh B]+ and [Rh 123]+ are observed directly in the open environment. To evaluate the reliability of this technique, a comparative study of ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and our method is carried out, and the result shows good correlation. According to the signal intensity of characteristic ions, the layer-by-layer adsorption process of dyes can be monitored, and the thicknesses of multilayer films can also be comparatively determined. Combining the high sensitivity, selectivity, and speed of mass spectrometry, the selective adsorption of similar structure molecules under different pH is recognized easily from extracted ion chronograms. The variation trend of dyes signalling intensity with concentration of polyelectrolyte is studied as well, which reflects the effect of surface charge on dyes deposition. Additionally, the desorption area, surface morphology, and thicknesses of multilayer films are investigated using fluorescence microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Because the desorption area was approximately as small as 2 mm2, the distribution situation of organic dyes in an arbitrary position could be gained rapidly, which means DESI-MS has advantages on in situ analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the National Nature Science Foundation of China (91027034, 21175014, 20975016), and National Grant of Basic Research Program of China (2011CB915504).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Ruixia Shi, Na Na, Fubin Jiang & Jin Ouyang

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  1. Ruixia Shi
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  2. Na Na
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Correspondence to Jin Ouyang.

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Shi, R., Na, N., Jiang, F. et al. Characterization of Rhodamine Self-Assembled Films Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 24, 966–974 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-013-0601-5

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