MALDI ionization mechanisms: the coupled photophysical and chemical dynamics model correctly predicts 'temperature'-selected spectra.

A number of possible ultraviolet MALDI ionization mechanisms based on different fundamental phenomena have been proposed. Recently, it has been argued, based on 'temperature'-selected spectra, that photoionization models should be rejected in favor of thermal ones. Here, one non-thermal photoionization model, the coupled photophysical and chemical dynamics model, is shown to be fully consistent with the data.