Active Humidity Control Chamber for Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging Applications.

ABSTRACT: Ambient ionization techniques enable mass spectrometry (MS) to expand into broader experimental contexts, although it is increasingly clear that results are influenced by the environmental conditions at the site of sampling. Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), in particular, is affected by variations in relative humidity (RH) levels. Here we describe the design, development, and construction of an environmental control chassis that can actively modulate RH within ± 3% of user-defined set points across a broad humidity range (15%-70% RH). Preliminary characterization demonstrated differential analyte responses across a range of set points, with observed enhancement of leucine-enkephalin, sulfadimethoxine (negative mode), and maltose (positive mode) in response to increased humidity.

SUBMITTER: Shepard HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12412154 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature