Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 14(4), 661 (1998).

Development, Principle and Application of Liquid Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Masahiko TSUCHIYA*
Yokohama National University, Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama 240, Japan
Ionization methods working under atmospheric pressure, such as ESI and APCI, are now indispensable for measuring non-volatile organic compounds, and provide LC/MS. These methods, however, have several disadvantages, e.g., they are less sensitive for less polar compounds and have limitations in the use of solvents. Liquid ionization mass spectrome-try utilizes excited argon for ionizing organic compounds (liquids or in solution) at atmospheric pressure. Also, it is pos-sible to use a variety of additives to obtain ions related to the molecular weight. Therefore, the method is useful to analyze a mixture containing non-volatile, either polar or non-polar, organic compounds, and also gives information about hydrogen-bonded clusters present in the gas phase and at the liquid surface. The method provides different applica-tions in the field of mass spectrometry. This review describes the development and several applications of this method. (Keywords: Liquid ionization mass spectrometry, mixture analysis, non-volatile organic compounds, hydrogen-bonded clusters, analysis of reaction products in a solution, clusters)