Atmospheric pressure ion source for mass spectrometry

A multiple function atmospheric pressure ion source interfaced to a mass spectrometer comprises multiple liquid inlet probes configured such that the sprays from two or more probes intersect in a mixing region. Gas phase sample ions or neutral species generated in the spray of one probe can react with reagent gas ions generated from one or more other probes by such ionization methods as Electrospray, photoionization, corona discharge and glow discharge ionization. Reagent ions may be optimally selected to promote such processes as Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization of neutral sample molecules, or charge reduction or electron transfer dissociation of multiply charged sample ions. Selected neutral reagent species can also be introduced into the mixing region to promote charge reduction of multiply charged sample ions through ion-neutral reactions. Different operating modes can be performed alternately or simultaneously, and can be rapidly turned on and off under manual or software control.