Photothermal Structural Dynamics of Au Nanofurnace for In Situ Enhancement in Desorption and Ionization

Abstract Fundamental properties of nanostructured substrates govern the performance of laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI‐MS); however, limited studies have elucidated the desorption/ionization mechanism based on the physicochemical properties of substrates. Herein, the enhancement in desorption/ionization is investigated using a hybrid matrix of Au nanoisland‐functionalized ZnO nanotubes (AuNI‐ZNTs). The underlying origin is explored in terms of the photo‐electronic and ‐thermal properties of the matrix. This is the first study to report the effect of laser‐induced surface restructuring/melting phenomenon on the LDI‐MS performance. AuNI plays a central role as a photothermal nanofurnace, which facilitates the internal energy transfer from the AuNI to the adsorbed analytes by reconstruction in the structurally dynamic AuNI and therefore favors the desorption process. Moreover, piezoelectricity is driven in situ in the AuNI‐ZNT hybrid, which modulates the overall band structure and thereby promotes the ionization process. Ultimately, high LDI‐MS performance is demonstrated by analyzing small metabolites of fatty acids and monosaccharides, which are challenged to be detected in conventional LDI‐MS. This study emphasizing the understanding of matrix properties can provide insights into the design and development of a novel nanomaterial as an efficient LDI matrix. Furthermore, the developed hybrid matrix can overcome the major hurdles existing in conventional LDI‐MS.