A method of analyzing compounds by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (mass-to-charge ratio) of ions.
Mass spectrometry is a method of analyzing compounds by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (mass-to-charge ratio) of ions. Its basic principle is to ionize each component in the sample in the ion source to generate charged ions with different charge-to-mass ratios. These ions form an ion beam under the action of an accelerating electric field and enter the mass analyzer. In the mass analyzer, ions undergo velocity dispersion under the action of electric and magnetic fields and are focused to obtain a mass spectrum, based on which the mass of the ions can be determined.
Mass spectrometry detection has high specificity and sensitivity, so it is widely used in many fields. In the field of chemistry, mass spectrometers are mainly used to study the quality, structure, molecular weight, content, isotopes and reaction kinetics of compounds. They can detect organic matter, metal ions, inorganic materials, polymer materials and other substances. In the fields of biochemistry and biomedicine, mass spectrometers are used to study protein sequence, function, structure, molecular weight, modification and identification. In the field of clinical diagnosis, mass spectrometry is used for the confirmation of biomarkers and is considered the preferred method for clinical biomarker discovery and confirmation.