Secondary ion mass spectrometric signal enhancement of phosphatidylcholine dioleoyl on enlarged nanoparticles surface

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • TOF-SIMS mass-spectra of DOPC lipid on enlarged nanoparticles surface were studied. • Metallic, semiconductor, dielectric and hybrid nanoparticles were examined. • Effect of nanoparticles on mass-spectral peaks intensity was investigated. • The highest signal enhancement of 42 times was found for hybrid core–shell Au/SiO₂ nanoparticles. - Abstract: A silicon wafer surface coverage of nanoparticles (NPs) can enhance the L-α-phosphatidylcholine dioleoyl (DOPC) signal intensity in time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). A ToF-SIMS mass spectrometer was used with a pulsed primary beam of focused 30 keV Bi₃⁺ ions. The signal enhancing effect has been studied for metallic (Ag, Au, Pb), semiconductor (TiO₂), dielectric (SiO₂) and hybrid (Au/TiO₂NPs, core–shell Au/SiO₂) nanoparticles. Ag NPs can attenuate secondary ions signal, whereas all other studied NPs show the signal enhancement. The emission of DOPC lipid secondary ions immobilized on core–shell Au/SiO₂NPs was enhanced up to 42 times. This technique is a simple preparatory method enabling an overall increase in molecular lipid ions