B₄C‐Assisted Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A novel inorganic nonmetallic material boron carbide (B4C) was applied in paper spray ionization to analyze organic molecules in both negative and positive modes. The utilization of B4C has led to a notable enhancement in signal responses for various molecules, including bisphenols and drugs, by approximately two to four times. The limit of detection (LOD) of bisphenol AF and nilotinib standard solutions can reach 1 and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, linear relationships for bisphenol AF was established within the concentration range of 1–100 μg/mL, exhibiting strong correlation coefficients. Recovery experiments for BPAF in water samples from the inlet and outlet of a sewage treatment plant, conducted without any pretreatment, achieved a maximum recovery rate of 98.8% and an RSD below 9.78%.