title: High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry: state of the art for the drug analysis laboratory.
abstract: The combination of HPLC and mass spectrometry has great promise for the toxicology laboratory. In the past five years, significant progress has been made toward producing a reliable interface for these techniques. Thermospray, liquid ion evaporation, ion-spray, and the particle beam separator are all viable "second generation" approaches with significant advantages and disadvantages. I review the operation of these interfaces with an orientation to their use in the drug analysis laboratory. Thermospray, ion-spray, and liquid ion evaporation primarily supply information about molecular mass. The benefits and limitations of using tandem mass spectrometry to obtain additional structural information will also be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Bowers
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis; D014116:Toxicology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations