Organocatalysis meets chip MS: By integrating asymmetric organocatalysis and analysis on a chip (see picture), optimization of reactions can be achieved with minimal consumption of resources in a short period of time.

The performance of microfluidic glass devices with a monolithically integrated nanospray tip have been evaluated. The nanospray tip is generated directly on the edge of a microfluidic glass chip by a pulling step followed by HF-etching for directed formation of a sharp tip with defined emitter area. For a fair judgment of the MS-detection sensitivity, we compared the detection performance with commercial nanospray needles. For that purpose the effect of the emitter opening on the sensitivity was studied in detail for different microfluidic chips as well as for commercial nanospray needles. A comparison of the chip-nanospray device with commercial nanospray needles revealed that a comparable spray performance is obtained at similar emitter diameters. A stable electrospray could be generated at such tapered tips without any need for hydrodynamic or electroosmotic pumping. The nanospray chips were successfully applied for coupling microchip electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. For improved performance, the separation channel of the microdevice was flushed with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) in order to reduce analyte-wall interactions and electroosmotic flow.

We report on label-free monitoring of microfluidic free-flow electrophoresis (μFFE) separations in real-time using a custom built high speed deep UV laser scanner. In combination with a novel layout realized in fused silica (FS) FFE chips the setup was successfully applied for continuous separations and detection of unlabeled analytes including native proteins by space-resolved intrinsic deep UV fluorescence scanning.

We demonstrate that the combination of high speed separations on chip with a fast mass spectrometer enables electrophoretic separations with full mass spectra registration within a second. This was accomplished by coupling a microfluidic glass chip with an integrated nanospray emitter to a fast time of flight mass spectrometer working at 100 Hz for data acquisition. Applying field strengths up to 5800 V cm(-1) we achieved separations of model analytes such as pharmaceuticals and peptides with subsequent acquisition of full mass spectra within one second or slightly more.

In the present work, we report on a rapid and straightforward approach for the determination of biologically active compounds in bananas applying microchip electrophoresis (MCE). For this purpose, we applied label-free detection utilizing deep UV fluorescence detection with excitation at 266 nm. Using this approach, we could identify dopamine and serotonin, their precursors tryptophan and tyrosine and also the isoquinoline alkaloid salsolinol in less than 1 min. In bananas, after 10 days of ripening, we additionally found the compound levodopa which is a metabolite of the tyrosine pathway. Quantitative analysis of extracts by external calibration revealed concentrations of serotonin, tryptophan, and tyrosine from 2.7 to 7.6 μg/mL with relative standard deviations of less than 3.5%. The corresponding calibration plots showed good linearity with correlation coefficients higher than 0.985. For reliable peak assignment, the compounds were also analyzed by coupling chip electrophoresis with mass spectrometry. This paper demonstrates exemplarily the applicability of MCE with native fluorescence detection for rapid analysis of natural compounds in fruits and reveals the potential of chip-based separation systems for the analysis of complex mixtures.