Themed collection Ambient Mass Spectrometry

Welcome to this Analytical Methods themed collection on ambient mass spectrometry, guest edited by Facundo M. Fernández and Juan F. García-Reyes.

A review of ambient ionization mass spectrometry highlighting the central role of sample preparation immediate to and during sample analysis.

This study summarized laser-based ambient mass spectrometric (AMS) techniques with regard to their fundamentals, ionization mechanisms, and recent applications.

Plasma-based ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) exhibits great potential in the direct analysis of raw samples with minimum pretreatment.

Ambient mass spectrometry techniques that are capable of ionizing compounds of low polarity are discussed.

A rapid, definitive trace drug identification technique using nanogold surfaces with mass spectrometry was developed.

The EZ-DART ion source for ambient mass spectrometry, with simplified construction, minimal assembly cost, and versatile sampling capabilities, is described.

The proton transfer reaction in secondary electrospray ionization ultimately proceeds with gas-phase ions.

Paper capillary used for fast quantitation of pyrazole fungicides in wines.

Unexpected ionization processes were recently discovered for use in mass spectrometry in which no added energy is required to convert condensed-phase molecules to gas-phase ions with ESI-like charge states by simply introducing the matrix/analyte sample into the sub-atmospheric pressure of the mass spectrometer.

Herein, DART ionization was coupled to DMS to demonstrate their combined utility and compatibility for rapid separation and characterization of new psychoactive substances.

Easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) can be applied for tissue imaging when the application of high voltage is impractical or undesirable.

Paper spray mass spectrometry is a direct analysis method in which compounds are extracted and ionized from biofluids dried on paper.

The temporal profiles of ion signals were measured for probe electrospray ionization (PESI) and nano-electrospray ionization (nESI) by changing the pulse width of the high voltage applied to the emitters.

Ambient sampling, portable MS systems have the potential to allow field processing of forensic evidence, as well as serve as a flexible investigative tool during law enforcement activities. However, the underlying legal implications require the discretion of practitioners to ensure both lawful and ethical usage.

Paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) is combined with chemometric methods (PCA, SIMCA and PLS-DA) for a fast and reliable forensic discrimination between authentic and counterfeit perfumes.

A parts-per-million level screening technique for bis(chloromethyl)ether using micromachined differential ion mobility spectrometry combined with portable temperature programmable low thermal mass silicon micromachined gas chromatography is described.

The IR-ASAP approach described is a simple yet highly sensitive ambient ionization method for analysis of vaporizable compounds without need of heated pressurized gas, thus making it especially amenable to portable mass spectrometers.

We uncovered previously unknown metabolic differences between dorsal and ventral cells in the 8-cell vertebrate embryo using microprobe single-cell CE-ESI-MS.

An extractive electrospray ionization (EESI) source design is presented to improve the reproducibility of the interactions occurring in EESI.

Coupling resistive heating thermal desorption and direct analysis in real time demonstrated trace mass spectrometric detection of inorganic oxidizer explosives.

Tequila and mezcal are Mexican spirits prepared from Agave plants.