The use of explosives as matrices, a principle used previously in plasma desorption mass spectrometry, was applied to fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS). Ternary matrices were prepared by the addition of picric acid and related compounds to the binary matrix routinely used for the analysis of peptides, viz. thioglycerol-dithiodiethanol. With the new matrices, the spectra of three ferri-pyoverdins (iron-siderophore complexes which are often difficult to analyse by FABMS with standard matrices) showed a significant increase in both intensity and duration of the ion current. They present a valuable tool for the analysis of problematic analytes and for collision-induced dissociation MS/MS experiments.