Mass spectrometry (abbreviated MS) is one of the fundamental methods in analytical chemistry. Its applications are very broad, ranging from elemental and surface analysis to the study of organic compounds, biological molecules, and their supramolecular complexes.
The term “spectrometry” is largely historical; in fact, this is not a spectroscopic method, but a technique that uses various physicochemical processes in an ion source to convert a neutral analyte molecule into its charged form. These charged molecules are then separated using mass analysers according to their mass (m) to charge (z) ratio, commonly denoted as m/z.
The resulting mass spectrum is a histogram of species with different m/z values and can be used to derive qualitative, quantitative, and structural information.
