Atmospheric pressure photoionization offers an alternative method of introducing samples into the mass spectrometer. The PhotoSpray ion source, much like the standard atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) probe and Turbo VTM ion source, generates ions that represent the molecular composition of the sample.
From an applications point of view, this ion source provides a more versatile version of APCI, which can allow for greater sensitivity when optimized for specific compounds. The ion source also enhances LC-MS/MS detection of biological compounds and environmentally important compounds of low polarity.
This ion source uses a heated nebulizer to vaporize the sample. Following vaporization, the molecular constituents of the sample are ionized by the process of photoionization, induced by a continuous beam of ultraviolet radiation in the presence of a dopant within the ion source housing.
