Mass Spectrometry Primer

Abstract

(From Primer Overview): Mass Spectrometry (abbreviated here as MS, not to be confused with mass spectroscopy) is an analytical technology to identify chemical substances through measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) for molecules (or their fragments/components) in a sample. The resulting spectrum shows the calculated intensity of peaks from various mass-to-charge ratios (Figure 1). This information may be used to identify unknown substances, quantify known substances, and identify chemical and structural properties of chemicals. Typically, the resulting spectra are compared to a library of known substances through a computational process to identify which compounds are present. The mass spectrometer uses an ionizer to ionize the substances into fragments carrying different charges. The ion fragments then enter the mass analyzer where they will be accelerated to various speeds depending on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The ion fragments are detected when they leave the mass analyzer, and the intensity of the signal is recorded accordingly.