Aniline/alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid is a highly versatile ionic liquid for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

The performance of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) ionic liquid matrix (ILM) consisting of alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) and aniline (ANI) was evaluated to assess whether it could offer possible advantages over conventional matrices. Ultraviolet (UV), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) experiments were carried out with the aim of confirming the structure of the ANI-CHCA ILM. Different model analytes such as amino acids, peptides, proteins, lipids, phospholipids, synthetic polymers, and sugars were tested. Mass spectra with similar or improved signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (compared to CHCA) were invariably obtained demonstrating the potential of this ILM as a general purpose matrix. Furthermore, protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) and database search was facilitated compared to CHCA since higher scores and increased sequence coverage were observed. Finally, a complex lipid mixture (i.e. a raw extract of a milk sample) analysed by MALDI-MS showed improved S/N ratio, a reduced chemical noise and a limited formation of matrix-clusters. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.