252-Californium plasma desorption mass spectrometry of glycerophospholipids

252-Californium plasma desorption mass spectrometry was applied to the study of five different classes of phospholipids namely phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol. Positive and negative ion spectra were compared to spectra obtained using other ionization techniques. Plasma desorption mass spectra provide useful information on the molecular weight of compounds from all classes, particularly in the case of phosphatidylserine--a class that has failed to show satisfactory quasimolecular ions with either Fast atom bombardment, FAB or Field desorption, FD. The observed fragmentation is also indicative of the structure of the studied compounds.