Ambient & Atmospheric-Pressure Ionization
New ways to turn molecules into ions directly, in open air.
We study the fundamentals of how ions are generated at atmospheric pressure and build new ionization sources and instruments around them, from plasma and DART-based methods to triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) mass spectrometry. These ambient techniques let us analyze samples with little or no preparation, opening mass spectrometry to fast, real-world chemical measurement.
Selected publications
All publications→- 2025
Discovery of Nav1.7 inhibitors through the screening of marine natural product extracts
Adetola H. Adetola H. Adewole, Bhuwan Khatri Chhetri, Ghada M. Abdelwahab, Riya Bhanushali, Anne Marie Sweeney-Jones, Madison Greene, Jaehoon Shim, Carter K. Asef, Patric Vaelli, Lee Barrett, Facundo M. Fernández, Cassandra L. Quave, and Julia Kubanek*. J. Nat. Prod. 2025, 88(11), 2635–2644
- 2025
Towards Machine Learning Electrospray Ionization Sensitivity Prediction for Semi-quantitative Lipidomics
Alexandria Van Grouw, Markace A. Rainey, Molly M. Ogle, Samuel G. Moore, Johnna S. Temenoff, Facundo M. Fernández. J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2025, 65,4, 1826–1836
- 2024
Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Low-Cost Power Supplies for Improved Electrospray Ionization
, Daniel D. Vallejo, Joseph L. Corstvet, Facundo M. Fernández. Int. J. Mass Spectrom., 2024, 495, 117167
- 2024
Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Coated Blade Spray Mass Spectrometry for Volume-Limited Drug Analysis
, Xin Ma, Facundo M. Fernández. Int. J. Mass Spectrom., 2024, 495, 117164
- 2024
Triboelectric Nanogenerators for the Masses: A Low-Cost Do-It-Yourself Pulsed Ion Source for Sample-Limited Applications
, Carter K. Asef, Daniel D. Vallejo, Facundo M. Fernández. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2024, 35, 943-950.
- 2023
Native triboelectric nanogenerator ion mobility-mass spectrometry of egg proteins relevant to objects of cultural heritage at picoliter and nanomolar quantities
, Daniel D. Vallejo, Aleksandra Popowich, Julie Arslanoglu, Caroline Tokarski, Facundo M. Fernández*, Anal. Chim. Acta, 2023, 15(1269), 341374
- 2021
Pyrolysis Vacuum-Assisted Plasma Ionization Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for Insoluble Polymer Analysis
, Stephen C. Zambrzycki, Matthew C. Bernier, James A. Bradshaw, Facundo M. Fernández. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2021, 32, 6, 1388–1392 [New pyrolysis plasma ion source for polymer analysis (100% contribution)] Featured on the Supplemental Journal cover
- 2021
Triboelectric Nanogenerator Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for In-Depth Lipid Annotation
, Marcos Bouza, Yafeng Li, Zhong L. Wang, Facundo M. Fernández. Anal. Chem. 2021, 93, 13, 5468–5475 [New ion source coupled to ion mobility-mass spectrometry for characterization of lipid structure (100% contribution)]. Featured on the Supplemental Journal cover
- 2020
Large-Area Triboelectric Nanogenerator Mass Spectrometry: Expanded Coverage, Double-Bond Pinpointing, and Supercharging
, Marcos Bouza, Yafeng Li, Changsheng Wu, Zhong Lin Wang, Facundo M. Fernández. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2020, 31, 3, 727–734
- 2019
Sweep collection laser induced acoustic desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization for lipid analysis applications
, Kevin Benham, David Deamer, Facundo M. Fernández, Thomas M. Orlando. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2019, 30(4), 647–658
- 2018
Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) mass spectrometry of falsified antimalarials.
Matthew C. Bernier, Anyin Li, Laura Winalski¥, Yunlong Zi, Celine Caillet, Paul Newton, Zhong Lin Wang, Facundo M. Fernández* Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom., 2018, 2, 1585–1590.
- 2018
Aerosol Vacuum-assisted Plasma Ionization (Aero-VaPI) coupled to Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
Sandra L. Blair, Stephen C. Zambrzycki, Anyin Li, Nga L. Ng, Facundo M. Fernández* J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2018, 29(4), 635-639 [A new ion source for real-time aerosol analysis (100% contribution)] Featured on the Journal cover
+ 34 more in this area on the publications page.