Electrolysis-based on-chip dispensing system for ESI-MS

We report here an integrated on-chip sample dispensing system for Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) applications. The stand-alone chip includes an electrolysis-based micropump, a passive micro mixer and an ESI nozzle. Operation of the chip doesn´t require any external fluidic coupling because the chip is designed to have samples filled, sealed and stored in reservoirs inside the chip before testing. Demonstrated here is a chip with two sample reservoirs and dispensing of the samples is electrically controlled individually. Experimentally, on-chip co-dispensing of two different samples is successfully achieved with a dispensing flow rate about 50 nl/min and a continuous spray for 2 minutes.