Self-assembly TiO2 nanosheets as a SALDI-TOF-MS matrix for high-throughput identification of polyfluorinated compounds in water samples

Concerns about bioaccumulation, persistence and toxicity have led to a lot of researches on perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). In order to identity PFCs in real sample, self-assembled TiO 2 nanosheets (TiO 2 NS) were fabricated by an one-step hydrothermal method and applied as matrix for the surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF MS) detection of PFCs. Compared to the commercial P25 TiO 2 , the proposed self-assembled TiO 2 nanosheets matrix is better reproducibility and higher sensitivity benefiting from the unique hexagon structure of TiO 2 NS. 22 and 12 PFCs have been detected in water samples collected from locations near the outlets of a factory and a waste-water treatment plant, respectively. The proposed method can be a promising tool for high-throughput detect of trace PFCs in real samples.