Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research Dresden

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is increasingly applied in life sciences to analyze composition and structure of extracellular matrices (ECM). The fragmentation of the ECM components during the analysis results in a large number of individual signals in the mass spectra. Due to the chemical similarity of the biomolecular building blocks, identical fragments from different molecules can contribute to the same signal. Reliable reference spectra and multivariate methods are required in order to decipher the information hidden in ToF-SIMS spectra of complex ECM samples. Here, we provide reference spectra for collagen I, an important structural protein found in the ECM of mammals, including humans. These spectra were measured with positive and negative polarity using a 30 kV Bi₃⁺⁺ primary ion beam.

Polymer coatings with tailored properties have enabled advances and innovations in industry, biomedicine, sensorics, and consumer goods. The optimization of the functionality and the development of new applications requires the comprehensive characterization of the material properties. Along with other methods, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is applied for this purpose. Here, we provide reference spectra for Teflon™ AF 1601, a soluble, amorphous fluoropolymer with applications in innovative fields such as opto-electronics, microfluidics, and sensorics. Spectra were measured with positive and negative polarity using a 30 kV Bi₃⁺⁺ primary ion beam.