Structured carbon nanotube tray for MALDI plates
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTimothy H. Joyce, Dan-Hul Dorothy Young, Jennifer Lu
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Abstract
An apparatus for producing analyte ions for detection by a mass spectrometer is described. The apparatus includes an ion source in which the surface of a target substrate for holding an analyte sample includes structured carbon nanotube material. The structured carbon nanotube material is structured in terms of being situated on a selected portion of the target support surface an/or in terms of being aligned in a selected orientation.
Claims26
A mass spectrometer system comprising:
- (a) an ion source for generating ions from a sample;
- (b) a target support situated in the ion source having a surface for holding the sample, the surface including a structured carbon nanotube material;
- (c) a laser for ionizing the sample on the structured carbon nanotube surface;
- and
- (d) a detector situated downstream from the ion source for detecting the analyte ions.
A ion source for use in ionizing a sample, comprising:
- (a) an irradiating source for ionizating the sample to form analyte ions;
- and
- (b) a target support having a surface for holding the sample, the surface including a structured carbon nanotube material.
A method of producing a target support having a surface including structured carbon nanotubes for holding a sample in an ionization source:
- coating catalyst material over the surface of the target support;
- removing catalyst material except over a selected portion of surface of the target support;
- growing carbon nanotubes selectively on the catalyst material using a carbon source;
- and
- placing the sample on the carbon nanotubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.