Study of chemistry in droplets with net charge before and after Coulomb explosion: Ion-induced nucleation in solution and implications for ion production in an electrospray

Abstract

Droplets with net charge are essential intermediaries in the production of gaseous ions in the electrospray (ES) ion source. There could be a wealth of knowledge regarding the chemistry that occurs in such droplets as a result of their violation of electroneutrality. Such information could lead to improved understanding of the ion generation process in an ES along with factors that affect it. The experiments performed involved the levitation of individually charged droplets that were, and were not, allowed to undergo Coulomb explosion while they remained levitated in an electrodynamic balance (EDB). Through examination of precipitates formed within the levitated droplets, it was observed that onset of NaCl precipitation was promoted in droplets (glycerol:water 9:1 v/v) that had mass-to-net-charge (m/z) ratio