Mass spectrometer having a derivatized sample presentation apparatus

A mass spectrometer, which comprises a mass spectrometry sample presentation apparatus which comprises:

• (a) a mass spectrometry sample presentation surface, wherein the surface is a metal surface;
• (b) a complex immobilized on the sample presentation surface, the complex comprising (i) a tethering molecule selected from the group consisting of dithiothreitol, dimethyladipimidate-2*HCL, dimethylpimelimidate*HCL, dimethylsuberimidate*2HCL, dimethyl 3,3'-dithiobispropionimidate*2HCL, disuccinimidyl glutarate, disuccinimidyl suberate, bis (sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate, dithiobis (succinimidylpropionate), dithiobis (sulfosuccinimidylpropionate), ethylene glycobis (succinimidylsuccinate), ethylene glycobis (sulfosuccinimidylsuccinate), disuccinimidyl tartarate, disulfosuccinimidyl tartarate, bis [2-(succinimidyloxycarbonyloxy)ethyl] sulfone, bis [2-(sulfosuccinimidooxy-carbonyloxy)ethyl] sulfone, succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimido-matyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate, sulfo-succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate, m-Maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester, m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide ester, succinimidyl 4-p-maleimido-phenyl)-butyrate, sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(p-maleimidophenyl)-butyrate, bismaleimidohexane, N-(.lambda.-maleimidobutyryloxy) succinimide ester, N-(.lambda.-maleimidobutyryloxy) sulfosuccinimide ester, n-succinimidyl (4-iodoacetyl) aminobenzoate, sulfosuccinimidyl (4-iodoacetyl)-aminobenzoate, 1,4-di-[3'-2'-pyridyldithio (propionamido) butane], 4-succinimidyl-oxycarbonyl-.alpha.(s-pyridyldithio) toluene, sulfosuccinimidyl-6-[.alpha.-methyl-.alpha.-(2-pyridyldithio)-toluamido] hexanoate, n-succinimidyl-3(2-pyridyldithio)-propionate, succinimidyl 6-[3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionamido] hexanoate, sulfosuccinimidyl-6-[-3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionamido] hexanoate, sulfosuccinimidyl-6-[3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionamido] hexanoate, 3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionyl hydrazine, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride, n,n'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, 4-(p-azidosalicylamido)-butylamine, azidobenzoyl hydrazine, n-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide, n-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide, n-[4-(p-azidosalicylamido)butyl]-3'(2'-pyridyldithio) propionamide, p-azidophenyl glyoxal monohydrate, 4-(p-azidosalicyl-amido) butylamine, 1-(p-azidosalicylamido)-4-(iodoacetamido) butane, bis-[.beta.-4-azidosalicylanido)ethyl] disulfide, n-hydroxysuccinimidyl-4-azidobenzoate, n-hydroxysulfo-succinimidyl 4-azidobenzoate, n-hydroxysuccinimidyl-4-azidosalicylic acid, n-hydroxysulfosuccinimidyl-4-azidosalicylic acid, sulfosuccinimidyl-(4azidosalicylamido)-hexanoate, p-nitrophenyl-2-diazo-3,3,3-trifluoropropionate, 2-diazo-3,3,3,-trifluoro-propionate, n-succinimidyl-(4-azidophenyl) 1,3'-dithiopropionate, sulfosuccinimidyl-(4-azidophenyldithio) propionate, sulfosuccinimidyl-2-(7-azido4-methylcoumarin-3-acetamide) ethyl-1,3'-dithiopropionate, sulfosuccinimidyl 7-azido4-methylcoumarin-3-acetate, sulfosuccinimidyl 2-(m-azido-o-nitrobenzamido)-ethyl-1,3'-dithiopropionate, n-succinimidyl-6-(4'-azido-2'-nitrophenyl-amino) hexanoate, sulfosuccinimidyl 6-(4'-azido-2'-nitrophenylamino) hexanoate, sulfosuccinimidyl 2-(p-azidosalicylamido) ethyl-1,3'-dithiopropionate, sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(p-azidophenyl)-butyrate and mixtures thereof, attached to the sample presentation surface, and (ii) at least one reactive molecule attached to the tethering molecule, wherein the reactive molecule digests a biomolecule upon contact thereby providing biomolecule fragments for analysis, and wherein the biomolecule is selected from the group consisting of polypeptides, DNA, carbohydrates, RNA and combinations thereof;
• and
• (c) a mixture of biomolecule fragments and MALDI matrix material on the sample presentation surface, the biomolecule fragments resulting from biomolecule digestion.