Waters Xevo TQ MS, Operator And Maintenance Manual, Page: 22 / 184

1-6 Waters Xevo TQ MS Overview
Ionization techniques and source probes
Electrospray ionization (ESI)
In electrospray ionization (ESI), a strong electrical charge is applied to the
eluent as it emerges from a nebulizer. The droplets that compose the resultant
aerosol undergo a reduction in size (solvent evaporation). As solvent continues
to evaporate, the charge density increases until the droplet surfaces eject ions
(ion evaporation). The ions can be singly or multiply charged.
The instrument can accommodate eluent flow rates of up to 2 mL/min.