| Abstract
| - Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOF MS) is an effective technique for analyzing the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of organic and biological molecules. However, matrix application complicates the use of MALDI-TOF for microarray analysis and limits the spatial resolution due to the inhomogeneous, complicated crystallization process of typically adopted organic matrixes. In the present work, a two-tiered hybrid porous nanostructure, comprised of an underlying porous film of polyelectrolyte/SiO2 NP and a top layer of gold NP, is described. The incorporation of multiple components into a single designer architecture allows for the characterization of an organic monolayer with LDI-TOF MS in a matrix-free fashion. A mechanism based on the suitable porosity of the nanostructure and the energy-transfer process of gold NPs is proposed to account for the analysis of a SAM with matrix-free LDI-TOF MS.
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