Advances in Chemoselective Probes for Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Small-Molecular-Weight Compounds

The chemoselective probe technique combines the benefits of chemical derivatization and solid-phase extraction, allowing for simultaneous enhancement of analyte ionization efficiency, reduction of matrix interference, and improvement in chromatographic separation. This innovative technique holds great promise for applications in metabolomics research, metabolic tracking, and natural product isolation and purification. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements in chemoselective probes from 2007 to 2024, focusing on the progress in probe design, particularly cleavable linkers. Additionally, it discusses the application of chemoselective probes in LC-MS analysis of small-molecular-weight compounds.