liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is an analytical technique used to identify and quantify chemical compounds in complex mixtures. First, a sample is dissolved in a liquid solvent and passed through a column that separates its components based on their interactions with the material inside the column. As each component exits the column, it enters a mass spectrometer, which ionizes the molecules and measures their mass-to-charge ratio. This combined process allows scientists to precisely analyze the composition of a sample, making LC-MS valuable in fields like medicine, environmental testing, and pharmaceuticals for detecting and studying specific substances.