Spray Emitters-Overview

The role of the spray emitter in nanoLC-MS cannot be emphasized enough.  After close to 30 years of nanoLC-MS, problems associated with the spray emitter still plague the work flow and data quality of many a analysis.  Clogging, unstable spray and inconsistent spray are almost as big an issue as it was at the beginning of proteomics.  Moreover, negative ion spray is considered by many practitioners as extremely challenging.

As the high sensitivity of nanoLC-MS has become more desirable, researchers outside of proteomics would like LC-MS solutions that offer the sensitivity of nanospray without the experimental fragility and difficulty of the technique.  MicroLC-MS (2 to >10 uL/min) potentially offers not only the benefit of high sensitivity of nanospray but also  the robustness of all metal columns and emitters.

Phoenix S&T has developed patented or patent-pending spray emitters that overcome the long-standing difficulties to make  the most demanding applications in nanoLC-MS and microLC-MS far more robust and stable.  From the plastic injection-molded nozzle that is completely clog-resistant even when spraying diluted, unfiltered serum, to the most recent PST-mTips that provide a cone-jet mode spray at flow rates higher than 100 uL/min,  our innovations in spray emitters are unsurpassed.  Watch the cone-jet mode spray at 160 L/min here.

For our microspray source insert for the Thermo Easy-spray source, we also provide the conventional laser-pulled fused silica emitters for established applications.