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.