Mass spectrometry and mass-selective detection in chromatography.

An overview of chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling is presented here, focussing mainly on possibilities offered by this detection technique. GC-MS and HPLC-MS are the two most often used variants, which have quite different characteristics. Various mass-spectrometric possibilities are briefly discussed: ionization techniques, determination of elemental formulas, structural information and the question of sensitivity and selectivity. Options for mass-spectrometric instrumentation and applications of tandem mass spectrometry are also mentioned.