Lesson 32 - Basic Components in MS

Ionization Source

Component that converts gaseous molecules into ions.

Mass Analyzer

Responsible for resolving different mass fragments in mass spectrometry.

Detector

Detects ions and records the relative abundance of the resolved ion species.

Mass-to-charge ratio (m/z)

Mass of the fragment divided by its charge.

Electron Ionization (EI)

An ionization technique using an electron beam to ionize gas-phase atoms or molecules.

Chemical Ionization (CI)

An ionization method based on a chemical reaction involving a reagent gas to generate ions.

Electrospray Ionization (ESI)

Allows production of molecular ions from samples in solution, commonly used for large molecular weight biopolymers.

Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI)

Similar to ESI but uses a corona discharge to ionize the analyte in atmospheric pressure.

Time-of-Flight (TOF)

Mass analyzer that separates ions based on the principle that different masses have different velocities.

Quadrupole

A mass analyzer that directs certain mass-to-charge (m/z) fragments through a slit using a group of four electromagnets.

Ion Trap

Mass analyzer that traps ions in a small volume using electrodes and ejects them to obtain a mass spectrum.

Electron Multiplier

The most common type of detector in mass spectrometry, which amplifies the ion signals.

Sample vaporization

The first step in mass spectrometry where the sample is converted from solid or liquid to gas.

Fragmentation

The process in which molecules break into smaller pieces during ionization.

Soft ionization techniques

Ionization methods that produce molecular ions with minimal fragmentation.

Energetic ionization techniques

Methods that lead to extensive fragmentation of ions.

Mass Spectrum

A graphical representation that shows the mass-to-charge ratio of ions detected by the mass analyzer.