ATMOSPHERIC-PRESSURE IONIZATION AND LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY - TOGETHER AT LAST

The evolution of atmospheric pressure ionization techniques which are now routinely applied as liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer (LC/MS ) interfaces is described. Electrospray and related methods, as well a s atmospheric pressure chemical ionization combined with the heated ne bulizer interface, both began as specialized ionization techniques whi ch became much more widely accepted when combined with tandem mass spe ctrometry. Today, both are widely used for quantitative and qualitativ e LC/MS and LC/MS/MS analyses. Important events in the development of these methods are described, along with key elements in the evolution of the ion source-to-vacuum interface techniques that contributed to t heir success. (C) 1998 American Society for Mass Spectrometry.