Directly Mapping the Spatial Distribution of Organic Compounds on Mineral Rock Surfaces by DESI and LAESI Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Here, we present a new application of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) and laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) mass spectrometry imaging to assess the spatial location of organic compounds, both polar and nonpolar, directly from rock surfaces. Three carbonaceous rocks collected from an aquatic environment and a berea sandstone subjected to a small-scale oil recovery experiment were analyzed by DESI and LAESI. No rock pretreatment was required before DESI and LAESI analyses. DESI detected and spatially mapped several fatty acids and a disaccharide on the surfaces of carbonaceous rocks, and various nitrogenated and oxygenated compounds on the surfaces of berea sandstone. In contrast, LAESI using a 3.4 μm infrared laser beam was able to detect and map hydrocarbons on the surfaces of all rock samples. Both techniques can be combined to analyze polar and nonpolar compounds. DESI can be used first to detect polar compounds, as it does not destroy the rock surface, and LAESI can then be used to analyze nonpolar analytes, as it destroys a layer of the sample surface. Both techniques have the potential to be used in several scientific areas involving rocks and minerals, such as in the analysis of industry-derived contaminants in aquatic sediments or in small-scale rock–fluid interaction experiments