Glass microfluidic chips are advantageous for mass spectrometry due to their design and resistance to chemicals, but creating a nanospray ionization emitter in glass is challenging.
A new method using continuous fluid-assisted etching has been developed to produce sharp 3D nESI emitters within the chips, allowing for efficient integration.
The system successfully detects neurochemicals in tiny droplets and shows promise for future applications in neurochemical monitoring and single-cell analysis.