Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Energy and Fuels

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01205· OSTI ID:1225939

Christensen, Earl ^[1]; Sudasinghe, Nilusha ^[2]; Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj ^[2]; Sebag, Robert ^[1]; Schaub, Tanner ^[2]; Laurens, Lieve M. L. ^[1]

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1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2. New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)

Cultivation of microalgae has the potential to provide lipid-derived feedstocks for conversion to liquid transportation fuels. Lipid extracts from microalgae are significantly more complex than those of traditional seed oils, and their composition changes significantly throughout the microalgal growth period. With three acyl side chains per molecule, triglycerides (TAGs) are an important fuel precursor, and the distribution of acyl chain composition for TAGs has a significant impact on fuel properties and processing. Therefore, determination of the distribution of microalgal TAG production is needed to assess the value of algal extracts designed for fuel production and to optimize strain, cultivation, and harvesting practices. Methods utilized for TAG speciation commonly involve complicated and time-consuming chromatographic techniques. Here we present a method for TAG speciation and quantification based on direct-infusion mass spectrometry, which provides rapid characterization of TAG profiles without chromatographic separation. Specifically, we utilize Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) to provide a reference library of TAGs for the microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. that provides the basis for high-throughput TAG quantitation by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). In conclusion, we demonstrate the application of this novel approach for lipid characterization with respect to TAG compound distribution, which informs both immediate and future strain and process optimization strategies.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
• Grant/Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1225939
• Report Number(s): NREL/JA-5400-64361
• Journal Information: Energy and Fuels, Vol. 29, Issue 10; ISSN 0887-0624
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
algae
mass spectrometry
triglycerides
biodiesel
renewable diesel