Instrumentation for Mass Spectrometry:

The necessary components of a mass spectrometer are:

• Inlet device
• Ionisation chamber or Ion Source
• Analyser
• Detector
• Processing and output devices

The arrangement of those elements of the mass spectrometer is schematically represented in Figure.

Figure: A schematic diagram showing the components of a mass spectrometer

The inlet device loads the sample into the ionisation chamber where the analyte is ionised by a suitable method and the molecular ion and/or the fragment ions obtained by fragmentation of the molecular ion are directed towards the analyser. In the analyser these ions obtained by the fragmentation of the molecular ion are sorted out on the basis of their m/z value by using one of the many available techniques and are sent to the detector (transducer). Within the detector the ion flux produces an electrical current proportional to the number of ions reaching it. The processing unit records the magnitude of these electrical signals as a function of m/z and gives an output in the form of a mass spectrum.