Silicon wafer surface was modified with polyamidoamine (PAMAM G0) dendrimer and further characterized by AFM, MALDI-MS, SEM, and EDX to provide a new sensor for metallic ions. The characterization showed the effective immobilization of dendrimer on the surface, and the analysis performed by MALDI-MS also showed a characteristic signal for each dendrimer metal complex, which confirms the presence of the metal in solutions. The proof-of-concept of this device was tested as sensor for metal ions such as Cu(II) and U(VI) and using calibration curves the amount of metallic ions dissolved in solution can be easily assessed. The PAMAM G0 supported in silicon wafer can also be envisaged as possible built-on-silicon thin-layer chromatography (TLC) extraction device for metal determination with 'on-spot' MALDI-TOF-MS detection. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.