Structures,energetics, and dynamics of gas phase ions studied by FTICR and HPMS

Both Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR‐MS) and high‐pressure mass spectrometry (HPMS) are very powerful tools in the field of gas phase ion chemistry. Many experimental method developments based on FTICR‐MS and HPMS are summarized, including the coupling of a high‐pressure external ion source to a FTICR mass spectrometer, blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD), coupling laser desorption ionization with HPMS, infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD), radiative association and bimolecular routes to gas phase cluster ion formation. An abundance of thermochemical data, such as proton affinities, gas phase acidities, methyl cation affinities and metal cation affinities, have been obtained. Some of these data are the basis of the standard data listed in the NIST thermochemical databases. Ion–molecule interactions, energetics, reactivities, and structures of molecules have been extensively investigated using the methods developed based on HPMS and FTICR mass spectrometric techniques. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 28:546–585, 2009