Gas phase ion chemistry

Gas phase ion chemistry is a field of science encompassed dually 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 application for this science is in studying the thermodynamics of reactions. For example one application is in studying the thermodynamics of the solvation of ions. Ions with small solvation spheres of 1,2 or 10 solvent molecules can be studied in the gas phase and then extrapolated to bulk solution.