| abstract |
The present invention provides a device, system, and associated methods to actively or passively sample air by directing it onto the surface (4 in Fig. 1 ) of a porous light-absorbing semiconductor, for example, a desorption/ionization on a porous silicon ('DlOS') chi (5 in Fig. 1 ). Upon adsorption of an analyte, the surface may be analyzed directly by laser desorption/ionization (Fig. 4) time-of-flight spectrometry. Because of the process of laser desorption/ionization and subsequent mass detection does not require elevated temperature, thermal degradation of analytes is avoided. |