Sinapinic acid, or sinapic acid (Sinapine - Origin: L. Sinapi, sinapis, mustard, Gr., cf. F. Sinapine.), is a small naturally occurring
hydroxycinnamic acid. It is a member of the
phenylpropanoid family. It is a commonly used matrix in
MALDI mass spectrometry. It is a useful matrix for a wide variety of peptides and proteins. It serves well as a matrix for MALDI due to its ability to absorb
laser radiation and to also donate protons (H
+) to the analyte of interest.