It is well-known that some metals/alloys sensitize the skin of susceptible individuals. Trace amounts of metals and chemical compounds containing metal ions can affect human health, i. e., cause allergy or inflammation. However, the details of this metal-induced allergic reaction are not well understood. Complexes of nickel, copper, and zinc are known to be easily formed through contact of metal alloys with ubiquitously available organic compounds such as triacylglycerols, amino acids, urea, and fatty acids found in skin secretions or skin care products. Thus, an analytical technique is required to characterize and identify metal complexes formed on metallic everyday products, ideally offering a chemically specific, laterally resolved view of allergy-causing processes. Here we present a mass-spectrometry-based analytical workflow to characterize metal-containing compounds formed on the surface of 1-euro coins when in contact with artificial sweat. This study identified different metal complexes by using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Surface imaging of 1-Euro coins employing laser-based mass spectrometry revealed the lateral distribution of Zn, Cu, and Ni complexes with low-micrometer resolution.

中文翻译：

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对人造汗液与流通欧元硬币接触形成的过渡金属络合物进行质谱分析

众所周知，某些金属/合金会使易感人群的皮肤过敏。微量金属和含有金属离子的化合物会影响人体健康，即。e. 引起过敏或炎症。然而，这种金属引起的过敏反应的细节尚不清楚。已知镍、铜和锌的络合物很容易通过金属合金与普遍存在的有机化合物（例如皮肤分泌物或皮肤护理产品中发现的三酰甘油、氨基酸、尿素和脂肪酸）接触而形成。因此，需要一种分析技术来表征和识别金属日常产品上形成的金属络合物，理想情况下提供引起过敏过程的化学特异性、横向解析视图。在这里，我们提出了一种基于质谱的分析工作流程，用于表征 1 欧元硬币与人造汗液接触时在表面形成的含金属化合物。本研究通过使用串联质谱 (MS/MS) 鉴定了不同的金属配合物。采用激光质谱法对 1 欧元硬币进行表面成像，以低微米分辨率揭示了锌、铜和镍复合物的横向分布。