tömeganalizátor

A tömeganalizátor, often translated as mass spectrometer, is an analytical instrument used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. This measurement allows for the identification and quantification of different substances within a sample. The process typically involves ionizing the sample molecules, separating these ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio using electric or magnetic fields, and then detecting the abundance of each ion. Different ionization techniques exist, such as electron ionization, chemical ionization, and electrospray ionization, each suited for different types of samples and analytical goals. Similarly, various mass analyzers, like quadrupole, time-of-flight, and ion trap, employ different principles for ion separation. The output of a mass spectrometer is a mass spectrum, which graphically represents the relative abundance of ions as a function of their mass-to-charge ratio. This spectrum serves as a unique fingerprint for the analyzed compound, enabling its identification by comparing it to spectral databases or through interpretation of fragmentation patterns. Tömeganalizátorok have wide-ranging applications across various scientific disciplines, including chemistry, biology, medicine, environmental science, and forensics, for tasks such as drug discovery, disease diagnosis, pollutant monitoring, and material analysis. Their sensitivity and specificity make them indispensable tools for complex mixture analysis and the characterization of unknown substances.