Feasibility of formation of hot ions in electrospray

Internal energy changes during the electrospray process have been studied. Our results suggest that, contrary to conventional wisdom, ions that are quite hot are formed in electrospray, even without acceleration in the cone-skimmer region. The main role of the curtain gas seems to be not to break up existing clusters but, rather, to cool down the nascent ions and to prevent cluster formation by shielding them from solvent vapors.