In this review, the technical developments of the Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT ICR) mass spectrometry as well as the developments of the ICR before the implementation of Fourier transform into this technique are described in historical order. Instrumentation,
theory and applications are covered in ion chemistry, ion physics, and
structural analysis of a very broad variety of compounds, from atoms and
small molecules to biological and petrochemical
analytes. For investigation, the ions can be generated inside or
outside the ICR cell. They are trapped in the ICR cell, reacted with
neutral molecules, photons, or ions. Finally, mass spectra of primary
ions and ionic reaction
products are produced with ultrahigh resolution and precision. From the
many thousand publications in the field, the authors selected 221
publications for this review. The criterion was that a new development, a
new aspect, a new extension, or a new application of the method was
presented for the first time. In the first decades, many fundamental
discoveries took place. However, the FT ICR technique has not reduced
its dynamical development until today and will continue its success with
many extended applications and instrumental developments in the future.