Three-Layer Electrospray Constructing Charged Microdroplets for Online Derivatization and Position Identification of Lipid CC Bonds

Numerous studies have demonstrated that charged microdroplets
can
significantly accelerate chemical reactions. In this work, we developed
a novel three-layer electrospray ionization source (TL-ESI). This
source generated charged microdroplets capable of facilitating the
rapid epoxidation of unsaturated lipid CC bonds with the derivatization
reagent 3-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA) in an online
process, achieving a conversion rate of up to 92.8%a performance
not achievable with conventional electrospray ionization source (ESI).
Compared to conventional ESI, the TL-ESI effectively compartmentalized
reactants, enabled precise control over the reaction process, and
supported rapid online derivatization of lipid CC bonds with m-CPBA. When integrated with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS),
this source further enabled the localization of lipid CC bond
positions. The TL-ESI is characterized by its simplicity in design,
ease of operation, and seamless integration with mass spectrometry
(MS). These advantages make it an efficient and practical tool for
locating CC bond positions in unsaturated lipids, even within
complex sample matrices. Additionally, this work highlights the potential
of the TL-ESI as an innovative platform for accelerating chemical
reactions via charged microdroplets, offering a valuable addition
to the toolbox of modern analytical chemistry.