Mass spectrometry of atomically precise clusters

Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful tool in understanding atomically precise clusters. By using soft ionization techniques, intact cluster ions can be transferred to the gas phase and analyzed. MS is largely used to determine precise composition of the clusters as well as study their reactions. Tandem MS techniques are used to study dissociation of clusters in the gas phase which reveals information on their structures and stability. MS when coupled to ion mobility is capable of studying the dynamics of the gas-phase cluster ions. This chapter discusses the use of MS in the study of atomically precise clusters.