Untargeted separation of isomeric and isobaric species in mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is challenging. The combination of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) with MSI has emerged as an effective strategy for differentiating isomeric and isobaric species, which substantially enhances the molecular coverage and specificity of MSI experiments. In this study, we have implemented nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI) MSI on a trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) mass spectrometer. A new nano-DESI source was constructed, and a specially designed inlet extension was fabricated to accommodate the new source. The nano-DESI-TIMS-MSI platform was evaluated by imaging mouse brain tissue sections. We achieved high ion mobility resolution by utilizing three narrow mobility scan windows that covered the majority of the lipid molecules. Notably, the mobility resolution reaching up to 300 in this study is much higher than the resolution obtained in our previous study using drift tube IMS. High-resolution TIMS successfully separated lipid isomers and isobars, revealing their distinct localizations in tissue samples. Our results further demonstrate the power of high-mobility-resolution IMS for unraveling the complexity of biomolecular mixtures analyzed in MSI experiments.
Keywords: high mobility resolution; lipid isomers; mass spectrometry imaging; nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI); trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS).