World war II electronic advances suggested the use of time-of-flight for mass measurements (Stephens), and subsequently to the development of commercial TOF instruments by Bendix and by Bioion (TOF/PDMS/MacFarlane), as well as to the use of TOF/SIMS (Standing). Although the latter TOF methods were the only ones capable of measuring the masses of really large biomolecules, most mass spectrometrists were still wedded to sector/quadrupole instruments for high/low-end mass measurements. The coup-de-gr�ce for TOF (as generally believed) was the discovery (Barber1981) of a suitable matrix (glycerol), which enabled the use of sector/quadrupole instruments for measurements of large biomolecules (�fabulous FAB�). Ironically, it was the discovery of suitable matrices for laser excitation (MALDI/Hillenkamp/Karas) that revived TOF, aided by the additional accuracy provided by the reflecting geometry (Mamyrin), and the subsequent development of orthogonal injection (Dodonov). Thus TOFMS/MALDI, along with electrospray, are the prime methods now used for the mass spectrometry of biomolecules.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry: From niche to mainstream

246th National Meeting (2013)

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