Gas Phase Ion Chemistry

Gas phase ion chemistry is a field of science encompassed within
both chemistry and physics. It is the science that studies ions and
molecules in the gas phase, most often enabled by some form of
mass spectrometry. By far the most important applications for
this science is in studying the thermodynamics and kinetics of
reactions. For example one application is in studying the
thermodynamics of the solvation of ions. Ions with small solvation
spheres of 1, 2, 3 . . . solvent molecules can be studied in the gas
phase and then extrapolated to bulk solution.