Coupling thin-layer chromatography with vibrational cooling matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry for the analysis of ganglioside mixtures

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), which is widely used for separation of glycolipids, oligosaccharides, lipids, and compounds of environmental and pharmaceutical interest, can be readily coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometers, but this arrangement usually compromises mass spectral resolution due to the irregularity of the TLC surface. However, TLC can be coupled to an external ion source MALDI-Fourier transform (FT) MS instrument without compromising mass accuracy and resolution of the spectra. Furthermore, when the FTMS has a vibrationally cooled MALDI ion source, fragile glycolipids can be desorbed from TLC plates without fragmentation, even to the point that desorption of intact molecules from "hot" matrixes such as alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid is possible. In this work, whole brain gangliosides are separated using TLC; the TLC plates are attached directly to the MALDI target, where the gangliosides are desorbed, ionized, and detected in the FTMS with > 70 000 resolving power.