Investigation of chemical reactions in solution using API-MS

The general concepts, advantages, and applications of on-line and off-line screening to organic reaction mechanistic studies applying API-MS are reviewed. An overview is presented of the development and the present stage of connected microreactors to API ion-sources. Examples of the successful application of API in revealing, elucidating, and helping to consolidate several proposed mechanisms of organic reactions are summarized. Finally, a variety of outstanding features and advantages that make API-MS the most suitable tool for the fast screening of intermediates directly from solution, and the exceptional gains in chemical information for organic chemists are also emphasized. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.