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Understanding mass spectra

by R. Martin Smith

Drawing upon his many years as a forensic chemist and an instructor of mass spectral interpretation, R. Martin Smith combines coverage of the principles underlying mass spectral analysis with clear guidelines on how to apply them in a laboratory setting. Writing from the perspective of a professional analytical chemist - but at a level accessible to chemistry undergraduates - he approaches the subject within the context of several key unifying concepts from organic and physical chemistry, including the roles of molecular orbitals in the ionization process and "electron pushing" for rationalizing reaction mechanisms. Discussions of instrumentation are the result of a collaboration with Kenneth L. Busch, a recognized expert in mass spectrometry, who served as technical editor for the book.