A method for fragmentation of analyte ions for mass spectroscopy and a
system for mass spectroscopy. The method produces gas-phase analyte ions,
produces gas-phase radical species separately from the analyte ions, and
mixes the gas-phase analyte ions and the radical species at substantially
atmospheric pressure conditions to produce fragment ions prior to
introduction into a mass spectrometer. The system includes a gas-phase
analyte ion source, a gas-phase radical species source separate from the
gas-phase analyte ion source, a mixing region where the gas-phase analyte
ions and the radical species are mixed at substantially atmospheric
pressure to produce fragment ions of the analyte ions, a mass
spectrometer having an entrance where at least a portion of the fragment
ions are introduced into a vacuum of the mass spectrometer, and a
detector in the mass spectrometer which determines a mass to charge ratio
analysis of the fragment ions.