Time-of-flight detection of monoatomic ions generated by femtosecond laser ablation from large molecules

Single-shot femtosecond laser ablation (fsLA) was applied to large molecules to analyze elemental composition through out wide range of mass-to-charge ratio. Molecular samples such as Eu-DNA and cosmetic powders were atomized and ionized simultaneously by the single-shot fsLA and positive atomic ions were detected using a reflectron time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. The ratios among the signal intensity of the detected stable isotopes including ^151,153Eu and ^182-184,186W were consistent with the respective natural abundances of the isotopes. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the fsLA-TOF method as a high-throughput analytical technique for elemental microanalysis of large molecular samples in small quantities.