massaspektrometriamenetelmät

Masspektrometriamenetelmät is a Finnish term referring to mass spectrometry techniques. Mass spectrometry is an analytical chemistry technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. It is used to determine the elemental composition of a sample, identify unknown compounds, quantify known compounds, and elucidate the structure of molecules.

The fundamental principle of mass spectrometry involves ionizing a sample, separating the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio, and then detecting the abundance of each ion. Various methods exist for ionization, including electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), electrospray ionization (ESI), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Each ionization method has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of sample being analyzed.

Following ionization, the ions are propelled into a mass analyzer. Common types of mass analyzers include quadrupole, time-of-flight (TOF), ion trap, and magnetic sector analyzers. These analyzers use electric and magnetic fields to separate ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios. The separated ions are then detected by an ion detector, which generates a signal proportional to the number of ions arriving.

The resulting data is presented as a mass spectrum, a plot of ion abundance versus mass-to-charge ratio. This spectrum serves as a unique fingerprint for the analyzed compound, allowing for identification and quantification. Mass spectrometry is a versatile technique employed in a wide range of fields, including drug discovery, environmental monitoring, forensics, and proteomics.