massanalyysimenetelmät

Massanalyysimenetelmät, often translated as mass spectrometry methods, are a range of analytical techniques used to determine the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. This information allows for the identification and quantification of different substances within a sample. The fundamental principle involves ionizing the sample's molecules, separating these ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio, and then detecting them.

Various ionization techniques exist, such as electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), electrospray ionization (ESI), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), each suited for different types of analytes and sample matrices. Following ionization, mass analyzers, like quadrupole, time-of-flight (TOF), or magnetic sector analyzers, separate the ions. The resulting mass spectrum is a plot of ion abundance versus mass-to-charge ratio, providing a unique fingerprint for the analyzed compounds.

These methods are incredibly versatile and find applications across numerous scientific disciplines. In chemistry, they are used for structure elucidation of unknown compounds, reaction monitoring, and purity analysis. Biochemistry and pharmaceutical sciences rely on mass spectrometry for protein identification, drug discovery, and metabolic profiling. Environmental analysis employs it for detecting pollutants, while forensic science uses it for identifying trace evidence. The sensitivity and specificity of massanalyysimenetelmät make them indispensable tools for modern scientific research and industrial quality control.