BPS2026 – Electrospun nanofiber membranes as flexible substrates for desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) offers unique advantages for the spatial visualization of molecules, but its performance is strongly influenced by the substrate material. While hard substrates are commonly used, the adoption of soft and flexible substrates can extend DESI-MSI to complex and irregular surfaces. Here, we present electrospun nanofiber membranes fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyamide-6 (PA-6) as substrates for DESI-MSI. We performed comparative analyses of these substrates across different sample types. Our results reveal mechanistic insights into substrate-dependent ionization efficiency and establish electrospun nanofiber membranes as promising platforms for enhancing DESI-MSI analysis.