Mass spectrometry made easy: The quest for simplicity

Mass spectrometry (MS) is generally viewed as a highly complex and demanding technique, full of difficulties and apprehensions. Ease and simplicity have been infrequently used descriptors of MS but a series of revolutionary developments is turning a complex technique into a model of simplicity, making MS easier than ever. Focusing on spray-based ambient desorption/ionization techniques, we discuss how previously unthinkable goals for MS (1) to bring it to a real world open atmosphere environment; (2) to perform fast, selective, and highly sensitive chemical and biochemical MS analysis with ease while (3) avoiding pre-separation and sample work-up for samples in their natural environment and therefore, at the end, (4) to make MS accessible in wherever MS is needed and by whoever needs it have become feasible. Without compromising the unique combination of high speed, selectivity, sensitivity and separation competences, simplicity has become a new MS attribute a fifth S' in the unique 5S set of MS trademark features. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.