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ANALYTICAL CURRENTS
Photoelectron resonance capture ionization MS Giuseppe Petrucci and colleagues at the University of Vermont have developed a new ionization source for real-time MS analysis of organic particles. Called photoelectron resonance capture ionization (PERCI), the new ionization source is soft enough for the analysis of ultratrace levels of organic air pollutants. Mass spectrometers designed for identifying airborne particles have traditionally been more successful for the analysis of inorganic particles because conventional ionization methods, such as electron impact, resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization, and chemical ionization, lead to extensive fragmentation. PERCI, however, is a particularly soft and sensitive ionization method that generates relatively intact molecular ions. PERCI is based on the attachment of low-energy (
