Hybrid MoS2/g-C3N4-assisted LDI mass spectrometry for rapid detection of small molecules and polyethylene glycols and direct determination of uric acid in complicated biological samples

A novel matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric method (MALDI-TOF MS) for determination of highly sensitive small molecular compounds was developed based on molybdenum disulfide nanosheets hybridized with ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 ) as the matrix. With this approach, the synergistic effects of MoS 2 and g-C 3 N 4 enhance the UV absorption of MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 , increase both desorption and ionization efficiency in LDI MS, and induce higher signal-to-noise ratio of analytes when compared with the bare MoS 2 and g-C 3 N 4 matrix in the determination of amino acids, antibiotics, neutral oligosaccharides, uric acid, and polyethylene glycols (PEGs). The detection limits of these small molecular compounds are in the ranges 0.1 to 10 μg mL −1 , 1*10 −3 to 1.0 μg mL −1 , 1.0 to 10 μg mL −1 , and 2*10 −4  μg mL −1 , respectively, and the polydispersity index of these PEGs is less than 1.02. Moreover, high salt tolera`nce and homogeneous deposition on the spot results in good reproducibility. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of shot-to-shot and spot-to-spot ( n  = 15) of these compounds are less than 10.1% and 12.5%, respectively. With MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 , the uric acid in complicated biological samples can be directly determined in combination with LDI-TOF MS. Graphical abstract We synthesized MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 nanohybrid as an efficient matrix for MALDI-TOF MS analysis of small molecules as well as quantitative detection of uric acid in human urine.