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How ‘Soft’ are ‘Soft ionization methods’?
Author(s) -
Renner D.,
Spiteller G.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
biomedical and environmental mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9888
pISSN - 0887-6134
DOI - 10.1002/bms.1200130804
Subject(s) - electron ionization , ion , ionization , fragmentation (computing) , fast atom bombardment , mass spectrometry , mass spectrum , ion source , chemistry , molecule , sputtering , yield (engineering) , chemical ionization , atomic physics , spectral line , materials science , physics , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , chromatography , thin film , astronomy , computer science , metallurgy , operating system
Liquid compounds containing no acidic hydrogens produce [M] +˙ ions of high energy in low yield upon particle bombardment. The molecular ions undergo fragmentation in a similar way, as if the compounds were ionized by electron impact. ‘Soft ionization’ spectra produced by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry are actually spectra obtained from ions already existing in the matrix. The main feature of the bombarding particles is to sputter the ions, not to ionize neutral molecules.