Quantification of ion binding using electrospray mass spectrometry

Abstract

Mass spectrometry has predominately been used as a qualitative tool in the analysis of complexes with quantitative studies being difficult to validate. Here, we present a method where electrospray mass spectrometry is used to give both a qualitative and quantitative measure of ion binding with cross validation by solution ¹H NMR, demonstrating it is possible to utilize gas-phase electrospray mass spectrometry continuous variation data to deduce binding stoichiometries in solutions where artifacts and nonspecific complexes are also observed.