Sample Target Substrates with Reduced Spot Size for MALDI‐TOF Mass Spectrometry Based on Patterned Self‐Assembled Monolayers

Abstract The wetting properties of structured self‐assembled monolayers are used to fabricate sample target substrates for MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. Combining the advantages of a hydrophobic‐hydrophilic surface pattern and the possibility of obtaining micrometer patterns allows an increase in the sensitivity of MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry analysis and a reduction in the traceable concentration down to fmol µL −1 . This easy, cheap and fast patterning process provides substrates that allow sensitive, high‐resolution mass spectrometry of dilute solutions.