Electrospray ionization (ESI)

Electrospray ionization (ESI) is a technique used in mass spectrometry to analyze molecules, especially large biological ones like proteins. It works by applying a high voltage to a liquid containing the sample, creating a fine spray of charged droplets. As the droplets evaporate, they release individual molecules with an electric charge. These charged molecules can then be identified based on their mass-to-charge ratio. ESI is gentle, allowing large molecules to stay intact during analysis, and it enables the detailed study of complex biological samples with high sensitivity and accuracy.