What type of ions are most commonly formed using soft ionization, such as ESI?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Soft ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) typically produce molecular ions, which are formed by adding or removing a proton from the neutral analyte molecule. Fragment ions may also be produced, but they are not the most commonly formed ions. Positively and negatively charged ions may also be formed, but the most common type is the molecular ion.

What Type of Ions Are Most Commonly Formed Using Soft