Definitions of terms relating to mass spectrometry (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)

TLDR

IUPAC has progressively updated mass‑spectrometry terminology since 1974, adding new terms, symbols, and vacuum‑related vocabulary through 1994 and revising them again to keep pace with the field’s rapid expansion, especially in biomolecular mass spectrometry. The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive, consensus‑based set of recommendations for mass‑spectrometry terminology. The authors compiled and revised terminology to reflect the current consensus of the mass‑spectrometry community.

Abstract

This document contains recommendations for terminology in mass spectrometry. Development of standard terms dates back to 1974 when the IUPAC Commission on Analytical Nomenclature issued recommendations on mass spectrometry terms and definitions. In 1978, the IUPAC Commission on Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy updated and extended the recommendations and made further recommendations regarding symbols, acronyms, and abbreviations. The IUPAC Physical Chemistry Division Commission on Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy’s Subcommittee on Mass Spectroscopy revised the recommended terms in 1991 and appended terms relating to vacuum technology. Some additional terms related to tandem mass spectrometry were added in 1993 and accelerator mass spectrometry in 1994. Owing to the rapid expansion of the field in the intervening years, particularly in mass spectrometry of biomolecules, a further revision of the recommendations has become necessary. This document contains a comprehensive revision of mass spectrometry terminology that represents the current consensus of the mass spectrometry community.