Table 1.
| technique | acronym | desorption mechanism | ionization mechanism | spatial resolution |
refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Established Ambient Ionization Platforms (Developed Prior to 2016) | |||||
| air-flow assisted desorption electrospray ionization | AFADESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | 100–200 μm | 124,228 |
| coated blade spray | CBS | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 121,122 |
| desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization | DAPCI | plasma desorption | corona discharge | —200 μm | 45,229 |
| direct analysis in real time | DART | plasma desorption | corona discharge | N/A | 2,169,179,184,230 |
| dielectric barrier discharge ionization | DBDI | plasma desorption | dielectric barrier discharge | <200 μm | 50,54,231 |
| desorption electrospray ionization | DESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | 30–200 μm | 1,17,133,141,193 |
| easy ambient sonic-spray ionization | EASI | liquid extraction | sonic spray | 30–200 μm | 14,180,208 |
| extractive electrospray ionization | EESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 15,232 |
| electrospray-assisted laser desorption/ionization | ELDI | laser ablation | electrospray | 100–200 μm | 61,227 |
| flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow | FAPA | plasma desorption | corona discharge | N/A | 44,52 |
| field-induced droplet ionization | FIDI | vibrational | field induced | N/A | 209,210,233 |
| internal extractive electrospray ionization | iEESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 129,234 |
| laser ablation electrospray ionization | LAESI | laser ablation | electrospray | —70 μm | 64,68,235 |
| liquid extraction surface analysis | LESA | liquid extraction | electrospray | 1 mm | 22,23,111,159 |
| liquid microjunction surface sampling probe | LMJSSP | liquid extraction | electrospray | 600 μm | 20,103,113 |
| liquid surface-atmospheric pressure glow discharge | LS-APGD | laser ablation | glow discharge | N/A | 223,236 |
| low temperature plasma | LTP | plasma desorption | dielectric barrier discharge | 150 μm | 48,56 |
| matrix assisted ionization | MAI | sublimation | inlet ionization | N/A | 89,90 |
| matrix assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization | MALDESI | laser ablation | electrospray | 50–200 μm | 65,73 |
| microwave plasma torch | MPT | plasma desorption | microwave plasma | N/A | 203,222,237 |
| nano desorption electrospray ionization | nano-DESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | 12–150 μm | 21,96,114,156 |
| probe electrospray ionization | PESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | ~700 nm | 37,127,158,174 |
| picosecond infrared laser desorption | PIRL | laser ablation | vibrational excitation of matrix | 1–5 mm | 76,145 |
| paper cone spray ionization | PCSI | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 238 |
| pressure probe electrospray ionization | PPESI | direct analysis | electrospray | 2–5 μm | 154,239 |
| paper spray ionization | PSI | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 24,152,181,183,219 |
| rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry | REIMS | thermal desorption | chemical/thermal evaporation | 82,84-86,162 | |
| solvent assisted inlet ionization | SAII | liquid extraction | inlet ionization | N/A | 91 |
| surface acoustic wave nebulization | SAWN | acoustic desorption | N/A | 164,165 | |
| secondary electrospray ionization | SESI | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 16,142,143,170 |
| single probe | liquid extraction | electrospray | 10 μm | 99,100 | |
| touch spray | liquid extraction | electrospray | ~6 mm | 139,176 | |
| New Ambient Ionization Platforms (Published January 2016–September 2018) | |||||
| droplet assisted inlet ionization | DAII | atomization | inlet ionization | N/A | 92 |
| extractive atmospheric pressure photoionization | EAPPI | ultrasonic nebulization extraction | photoionization | N/A | 87 |
| laser ablation-aerosol mass spectrometry-chemical ionization mass spectrometry | LA-AMS-CMS | laser ablation | electron ionization and/or chemical ionization | 25–50 μm | 79 |
| laser ablation dielectric barrier discharge | LA DBD | laser ablation | dielectric barrier discharge | 40 μm | 57 |
| laser desorption corona beam ionization | LD-CBI | laser ablation | corona discharge | ~1 mm | 58 |
| laser desorption/ionization droplet delivery | LDIDD | laser ablation | photoionization and electrospray | 2–3 μm | 157 |
| laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure ionization | LDTD-APPI | laser thermal | photoionization | N/A | 78 |
| laser-induced acoustic desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization | LIAD-APPI | laser-induced stresses on molecular crystals | photoionization | N/A | 63 |
| MasSpec Pen | MasSpec Pen | liquid extraction | solvent vaporization/ionization | 0.5–5 mm | 40 |
| nanotip ambient ionization mass spectrometry | NAIMS | plasma desorption | corona discharge | 5 μm | 55 |
| robotic surface analysis | RoSA | liquid extraction | electrospray | 1 mm | 42 |
| SpiderMass | SpiderMass | laser ablation | vibrational excitation of matrix | <1 mm | 75 |
| sponge spray ionization | SSI | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 119 |
| triboelectric nanogenerator | TENG | liquid extraction | electrospray | N/A | 39 |
| T-probe | T-probe | liquid extraction | electrospray | 5–8 μm | 155 |
| vibrating sharp edge spray ionization | VSSI | vibrational | solvent vaporization/ionization | N/A | 88 |