massspektrometriás

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. It is a powerful tool for determining the elemental composition of a sample, identifying unknown compounds, and quantifying the amount of specific substances present. The process generally involves three key stages: ionization, mass analysis, and detection. In the ionization stage, molecules are converted into ions. Various ionization methods exist, depending on the nature of the sample and the desired outcome. Common techniques include electron ionization (EI), electrospray ionization (ESI), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Once ionized, the ions are separated based on their mass-to-charge ratio in the mass analyzer. Different types of mass analyzers, such as quadrupole, time-of-flight (TOF), and ion trap analyzers, employ different physical principles for this separation. Finally, the separated ions are detected, and their abundance is recorded, typically generating a mass spectrum. This spectrum plots the relative abundance of ions against their mass-to-charge ratio, providing a unique fingerprint for the analyzed substance. Mass spectrometry finds widespread applications in fields such as chemistry, biology, medicine, environmental science, and forensics.