surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionisation mass spectrometry surface-enhanced laser desorption–ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry SALDI-TOF/MS SALDI-TOF-MS surface enhanced laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry surface-assisted laser desorption-ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy Mass spectrometry where the sample (usually a large organic molecule or biomolecule) is vaporised and ionised using a high-energy pulsed laser. The sample is mixed with a matrix compound (such as crystallised dihydrobenzoic acid) and deposited on a surface, with some chemical functionality, to protect it from direct laser illumination and to separate the sample molecules. The sample molecular ions are accelerated to the same (known) kinetic energy and the time taken for each ion to reach a detector at a known distance is measured. This time is dependent on the mass-to-charge ratio of the ion. surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry CHMO:0000869 SELDI-TOF-MS