Reduction of methylene blue during the ionization process

Methylene blue is readily reduced during the process of ionization in methods as diverse as electron ionization, direct exposure probe electron ionization, direct exposure probe chemical ionization, solid sample secondary ion mass spectrometry, liquid sample secondary ion mass spectrometry and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The reduction of methylene blue need not initially involve the abstraction of hydrogen from the solvent present in the latter two methods.