Self-assembly TiO2 nanosheets as a SALDI-TOF-MS matrix for high-throughput identification of polyfluorinated compounds in water samples

Concerns about bioaccumulation, persistence and toxicity have led to a lot of researches on perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). In order to identity PFCs in real sample, self-assembled TiO2 nanosheets (TiO2 NS) were fabricated by an one-step hydrothermal method and applied as matrix for the surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF MS) detection of PFCs. Compared to the commercial P25 TiO2, the proposed self-assembled TiO2 nanosheets matrix is better reproducibility and higher sensitivity benefiting from the unique hexagon structure of TiO2 NS. 22 and 12 PFCs have been detected in water samples collected from locations near the outlets of a factory and a waste-water treatment plant, respectively. The proposed method can be a promising tool for high-throughput detect of trace PFCs in real samples.