Covalent Organic Framework Nanofilm-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Screening of Parabens in Personal Care Products.
Summary
A TAPB-TFPB COF nanofilm substrate for LDI-MS provided cleaner spectra and higher signals than a conventional matrix for parabens and related small molecules. It achieved a methylparaben detection limit of 1.64 μM with 6.96% RSD and successfully screened parabens in real personal care products.
Key Findings
- COF nanofilm-assisted LDI-MS yielded higher signals and cleaner backgrounds than 9-aminoacridine for parabens, estrogens, and bisphenols.
- Achieved methylparaben detection limit of 1.64 μM with high reproducibility (RSD 6.96%).
- Successfully applied to rapid screening of parabens in complex personal care product matrices.
Clinical Implications
Supports dermatologists, toxicologists, and hospital labs in rapidly screening patient-exposed products when evaluating contact dermatitis or endocrine disruption risks, potentially informing counseling and product avoidance strategies.
Why It Matters
Provides a practical, rapid, and reproducible platform for paraben monitoring, addressing regulatory and public health needs around endocrine-disrupting chemicals in cosmetics. The method may generalize to other small molecules, expanding its utility.
Limitations
- Lacks validation against gold-standard quantitative LC-MS/MS across diverse product matrices.
- Detection limits may be insufficient for trace-level biomonitoring; external multi-lab validation is needed.
Future Directions
Conduct interlaboratory validation, expand analyte panels (e.g., broader EDCs), integrate semi-quantitative workflows, and develop field-deployable cartridges for regulatory monitoring.
Study Information
- Study Type
- Case series
- Research Domain
- Diagnosis
- Evidence Level
- IV - Method development with application to a series of product analyses without a control group.
- Study Design
- OTHER