Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric behaviour of selected drugs and their metabolites

A review of recent applications of HPLC-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to the analysis of selected drugs and their metabolites is presented. The drugs are chosen according to selected structural classes in which the molecules give ESI signals as [M+1](+), [M-1](-), [M+Na](+) ions. Details are given on the fragmentations that these ionic species exhibit in-source, in ion-traps and in triple quadrupoles. The review is principally concerned with the electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric behaviour of these drugs and their metabolites but details are given of corresponding SPE and HPLC procedures. (C)2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.