Received: 27 July 2020 | Revised: 22 October 2020 | Accepted: 24 October 2020 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21670 REVIEW ARTICLE Surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging: A review Wendy H. Müller | Alexandre Verdin | Edwin De Pauw | Cedric Malherbe | Gauthier Eppe Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, Chemistry Department, Abstract University of Liège, Liège, Belgium In the last decades, surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectro- metry (SALDI‐MS) has attracted increasing interest due to its unique capabilities, Correspondence Gauthier Eppe, Mass Spectrometry achievable through the nanostructured substrates used to promote the analyte Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, desorption/ionization. While the most widely recognized asset of SALDI‐MS is Chemistry Department, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août, 11—Quartier the untargeted analysis of small molecules, this technique also offers the possi- Agora, B‐4000 Liège, Belgium. bility of targeted approaches. In particular, the implementation of SALDI‐MS Email:
[email protected] imaging (SALDI‐MSI), which is the focus of this review, opens up new oppor- tunities. After a brief discussion of the nomenclature and the fundamental me- chanisms associated with this technique, which are still highly controversial, the Acronyms: 9‐AA, 9‐aminoacridine; AgLDI, silver‐assisted laser desorption/ionization; AgNPET, silver nanoparticle‐enhanced target; AMP, adenosine monophosphate; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; AuNPET, gold nanoparticle‐enhanced target; BP,