Single-particle mass spectrometry with arrays of frequency-addressed nanomechanical resonators

Abstract

One of the main challenges to overcome to perform nanomechanical mass spectrometry analysis in a practical time frame stems from the size mismatch between the analyte beam and the small nanomechanical detector area. We report here the demonstration of mass spectrometry with arrays of 20 multiplexed nanomechanical resonators; each resonator is designed with a distinct resonance frequency which becomes its individual address. Mass spectra of metallic aggregates in the MDa range are acquired with more than one order of magnitude improvement in analysis time compared to individual resonators. A 20 NEMS array is probed in 150 ms with the same mass limit of detection as a single resonator. Spectra acquired with a conventional time-of-flight mass spectrometer in the same system show excellent agreement. We also demonstrate how mass spectrometry imaging at the single-particle level becomes possible by mapping a 4-cm-particle beam in the MDa range and above.

Abstract

Nano-electro-mechanical system-based mass spectrometry holds promise for detecting supramolecular assemblies at large molecular weights, but its efficiency is too poor to be practical. Sage et al. overcome this problem using a nanomechanical resonator array, which significantly decreases detection time.