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Common Ion Effect

Common Ion Effect

Compared with pure water, the solubility of an ionic compound is less in aqueous solutions containing a common ion (one also produced by dissolution of the ionic compound). This is an example of a phenomenon known as the common ion effect, which is a consequence of the law of mass action that may be explained using Le Châtelier’s principle. Consider the dissolution of silver iodide:

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A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...

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In ordinary chemical reactions, the nucleus — which contains the protons and neutrons of each atom and thus identifies the element — remains unchanged. Electrons, however, can be added to atoms by transfer from other atoms, lost by transfer to other atoms, or shared with other atoms. The transfer and sharing of electrons among atoms govern the chemistry of the elements. During the formation of some compounds, atoms gain or lose electrons to form electrically charged particles called...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Swab Sampling Method for the Detection of Human Norovirus on Surfaces

Swab Sampling Method for the Detection of Human Norovirus on Surfaces

Published on: February 6, 2017

Direct ion generation from swabs.

Alan K Jarmusch¹, Valentina Pirro¹, David L Logsdon¹

¹Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States.

|April 21, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Medical swabs can now be used as electrospray ionization probes for direct mass spectrometry. This novel technique allows for versatile biofluid and tissue analysis in various clinical applications.

Keywords:

Ambient ionization Electrospray In vivo sampling Mass spectrometry Medical swabs Point-of-care testing

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Last Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Swab Sampling Method for the Detection of Human Norovirus on Surfaces

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Area of Science:

Analytical Chemistry
Biomedical Engineering
Mass Spectrometry

Background:

Medical swabs are standard tools for collecting biological samples.
Direct analysis of biofluids and tissues is crucial for clinical diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and evaluate medical swabs as electrospray ionization probes.
To explore the potential of this novel approach for direct mass spectrometry.

Main Methods:

Investigating ion generation from medical swabs.
Characterizing the ionization behavior using microscopic videography.
Demonstrating applications through illustrative examples.

Main Results:

Successful ion generation using medical swabs as probes.
Detailed characterization of the electrospray ionization process.
Presentation of diverse application scenarios.

Conclusions:

Medical swabs offer a novel and adaptable platform for electrospray ionization.
This method enables direct mass spectrometric analysis of biological samples.
The technique holds significant potential for widespread clinical applications.