Electron-based fragmentation methods in mass spectrometry: An overview.

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) provides detailed information for structural characterization of biomolecules. The combination of electron capture dissociation (ECD) techniques with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) often provides unique ion-electron reactions and fragmentation channels in MS/MS. ECD is often a complimentary, sometimes even a superior tool to conventional MS/MS techniques. This article is aimed at providing a short overview of ECD-based fragmentation techniques (ExD) and optimization of ECD experiments for FTICR mass analyzers. Most importantly, it is meant to pique the interest of potential users for this exciting research field.