Chemical ionization

Chemical ionization is a process used in mass spectrometry to identify and analyze molecules. It involves introducing a reagent gas that reacts chemically with the sample molecules, transferring charge and creating ions. These ions are easier to detect and analyze because their mass-to-charge ratio provides information about the sample's structure. Unlike other methods that ionize molecules directly, chemical ionization softens the process, producing larger, less fragmented ions, which helps in identifying similar or fragile compounds more accurately. It’s a precise technique for analyzing complex mixtures in fields like chemistry and biochemistry.