Quinine is a small, chiral, organic biomolecule commonly studied in forensics and medicine. With its increased use in illegal drug manufacturing, there is a definite need to have the ability to analyze the presence of the compound in a sample. Since quinine is a relatively small molecule, it is thought to be undetectable using mass spectrometry; however, a method of analyzing quinine may be attainable using (R-TOF) SALDI mass spectrometry. SALDI, or surface assisted laser desorption/ionization, is a type of mass spectrometry that uses an inorganic nanoparticle surface to help reduce the impact of the ionization energy on a small organic biomolecule, which reduces fragmentation of the sample. The effectiveness of which nanoparticle surface to use is under consideration, when comparing large versus small cobalt (II/III) oxide. Under the hypothesis that since smaller molecules have a greater surface area to volume ratio, the small cobalt (II/III) oxide nanoparticle surface will be able to absorb/desorb greater energy from the laser and the signal observed will be greater than that of a large cobalt (II/III) oxide nanoparticle surface. The laser is used to ionize the compound in a vacuum to move it into the gas phase, creating ions. The ions race to the detector at the end of the flight tunnel with the understanding that the larger the molecule, the more time it will take to reach the detector. The mass spectrometer includes a reflectron feature, where particles are reflected and sent down a secondary flight tube to a detector. This improves clarity of results and reduces noise. SALDI mass spectrometry differs from the more common MALDI (matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization) mass spectrometry in that it utilizes a softer ionization energy to assist smaller compounds and reduce fragmentation.
