Nanomaterials (Jul 2024)

What Are the Key Factors for the Detection of Peptides Using Mass Spectrometry on Boron-Doped Diamond Surfaces?

  • Juvissan Aguedo,
  • Marian Vojs,
  • Martin Vrška,
  • Marek Nemcovic,
  • Zuzana Pakanova,
  • Katerina Aubrechtova Dragounova,
  • Oleksandr Romanyuk,
  • Alexander Kromka,
  • Marian Varga,
  • Michal Hatala,
  • Marian Marton,
  • Jan Tkac

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14151241
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 15
p. 1241

Abstract

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We investigated the use of boron-doped diamond (BDD) with different surface morphologies for the enhanced detection of nine different peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). For the first time, we compared three different nanostructured BDD film morphologies (Continuous, Nanograss, and Nanotips) with differently terminated surfaces (-H, -O, and -F) to commercially available Ground Steel plates. All these surfaces were evaluated for their effectiveness in detecting the nine different peptides by MALDI-MS. Our results demonstrated that certain nanostructured BDD surfaces exhibited superior performance for the detection of especially hydrophobic peptides (e.g., bradykinin 1–7, substance P, and the renin substrate), with a limit of detection of down to 2.3 pM. Further investigation showed that hydrophobic peptides (e.g., bradykinin 1–7, substance P, and the renin substrate) were effectively detected on hydrogen-terminated BDD surfaces. On the other hand, the highly acidic negatively charged peptide adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment 18–39 was effectively identified on oxygen-/fluorine-terminated BDD surfaces. Furthermore, BDD surfaces reduced sodium adduct contamination significantly.

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