Positional determination of the carbon–carbon double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids mediated by solvent plasmatization using LC–MS

Fatty acids (FAs) are the central components of life: they constitute biological membranes in the form of lipid, act as signaling molecules, and are used as energy sources. FAs are classified according to their chain lengths and the number and position of carbon–carbon double bond, and their physiological character is largely defined by these structural properties. Determination of the precise structural properties is crucial for characterizing FAs, but pinpointing the exact position of carbon–carbon double bond in FA molecules is challenging. Herein, a new analytical method is reported for determining the double bond position of mono- and poly-unsaturated FAs using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) coupled with solvent plasmatization. With the aid of plasma on ESI capillary, epoxidation or peroxidation of carbon–carbon double bond in FAs is facilitated. Subsequently, molecular fragmentation occurs at or beside the epoxidized or peroxidized double bond via collision-induced dissociation (CID), and the position of the double bond is elucidated. In this method, FAs are separated by LC, modified by plasma, fragmented via CID, and detected using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer in a seamless manner such that the FA composition in a mixture can be determined. Our method enables thorough characterization of FA species by distinguishing multiple isomers, and therefore can uncover the true diversity of FAs for their application in food, health, and medical sciences.