Soft ionization

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-010969",
  "term": "Soft ionization",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "An ionization technique in mass spectrometry that imparts minimal internal energy to the analyte molecules, resulting in the formation of predominantly molecular ions or protonated/deprotonated species with little to no fragmentation. This method is particularly useful for analyzing fragile or thermally labile compounds, preserving their molecular integrity for accurate mass determination. Examples include electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization.",
  "subject": "Analytical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "hard ionization"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2013, 85, 1515. 'Definitions of terms relating to mass spectrometry (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)' on page 1591 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-06-04-06)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/soft-ionization/"
}