Abstract Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is a powerful tool for the analysis of biomolecules such as peptides and proteins and soft ionization technique using the organic matrix. Because of the high concentration of the organic matrix produces high background signals in the low mass range, nanopatticles have been intensively applied in the surface-assisted Laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) to reduce the background interferences in the MALDI.-MS. This thesis includes two projects. The first project applied the copper oxide nanorods, which absorbs 337 nm UV laser energy and has the large area, as the matrix for SALDI-TOF MS to detect four large antibiotics, peptides and proteins. The optimized conditions of the four antibiotic drugs were: 1000 £gM of copper oxide nanorods and incubation for 30 minutes to get the best signals. The LODs of the Lasalocid, Monensin, Salinomycin and Narasin are 200 nM, 25 nM, 50 nM and 50 nM, respectively. In addition, in this project, the CuO nanorods also can be mixed with glycerol to enhance the detection sensitivity for peptides and proteins. The second project presents the zinc selenium quantum dots (ZnSe QDs) modified with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) as the matrix and affinity probes in the SALDI-TOF MS. It strengthens the interaction between the gramicidin and zinc selenium quantum dots by electric interaction in the pH 6 phosphate buffer solution according to the pI value of the gramicidin and the pKa of. 3-mercaptopropionic acid. The best sensitivity of the gramicidin can be obtained under the optimized conditions: 50 £gM of zinc selenium quantum dots, 30 minutes incubation time and pH 6 of phosphate buffer solution. The LOD of the gramicidin is 0.08 £gM. This approach also can be successfully applied in the SALDI-TOF MS to enhance the sensitivity of peptides and proteins.

Thesis (M. Sc.(Agric.))(Animal Science)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Title from opening screen (viewed March 14, 2005). Summaries in Afrikaans and English. Includes bibliographical references.