Plasma Desorption Ionization Mass Spectra of Unconjugated Human Steroids

Abstract

Steroids, including cortisone, Cortisol, aldosterone, cortol, preg-nanediol, androsterone and 4-androsten-3, 17-dione can be ionized directly, without derivative formation, by plasma desorption ionization to give characteristic mass spectra. The ion products, with isobutane as the reagent gas, indicate the nature of the functional groups and the molecular formula; the spectra are similar to those obtained by chemical ionization methods.