Electrospray ionization is used to obtain mass spectra of proteins because:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Electrospray ionization (ESI) is a soft ionization technique that typically leads to the formation of charged intact proteins without significant fragmentation. This is advantageous for mass spectrometry because it allows for the detection of the intact protein and its accurate mass. Fragmentation can still occur in the gas phase after ionization, but this is typically slower and can be controlled with collision-induced dissociation (CID) or other fragmentation techniques.

Electrospray Ionization Is Used to Obtain Mass Spectra of Proteins