Abstract
Label and label-free methods to image carbon-based nanomaterials exist. However, label-based approaches are limited by the risk of tag detachment over time, and label-free spectroscopic methods have slow imaging speeds, weak photoluminescence signals and strong backgrounds. Here, we present a label-free mass spectrometry imaging method to detect carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide and carbon nanodots in mice. The large molecular weights of nanoparticles are difficult to detect using conventional mass spectrometers, but our method overcomes this problem by using the intrinsic carbon cluster fingerprint signal of the nanomaterials. We mapped and quantified the sub-organ distribution of the nanomaterials in mice. Our results showed that most carbon nanotubes and nanodots were found in the outer parenchyma of the kidney, and all three materials were seen in the red pulp of the spleen. The highest concentrations of nanotubes in the spleen were found within the marginal zone.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (grants 21127901, 21321003, 21175139, 21305144 and 21205123) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A.B-T. acknowledges support from ‘The Ohio State University Start-up Funds’. The authors thank R. Graham Cooks and A. Tao for discussions.
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Z.X.N. and S.M.C. conceived and designed the experiments. S.M.C. performed the experiments. C.Q.X., H.H.L. and Q.H. helped with animal care. S.M.C. and Q.Q.W. analysed the data. Q.Q.W. and H.H.L. contributed to cell culture. J.H. helped with TEM analysis. S.M.C., A.B-T. and Z.X.N. co-wrote the paper. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.
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Chen, S., Xiong, C., Liu, H. et al. Mass spectrometry imaging reveals the sub-organ distribution of carbon nanomaterials. Nature Nanotech 10, 176–182 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2014.282
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2014.282
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