ABSTRACT
Mass spectrometry has developed into an important tool that compliments ultraviolet and diode array detector detection techniques. Mass spectrometry has become a sort of universal technique enabling detection of different classes of compounds but also the determination of the molecular mass and isotope composition of compounds. The use of tandem mass spectrometry delivers more data required for an unambiguous identification of the analyzed compounds. In tandem mass spectrometry, the selected ions formed in the ionization source are preselected in the first stage of analysis and subsequently fragmented. Product ions, formed in the second step, are separated and detected afterward. For those focusing on untargeted analysis of samples and dealing with the detection of unknown compounds with similar structures and physicochemical properties, mass spectrometry has only become really useful with the advent of high-resolution mass spectrometry.
