Abstract: A sensitive universal detector for liquid chromatography is disclosed in which eluent from a liquid chromatograph column is aspirated into a flame and broken into a fine spray of aerosol particles. Water, when used as the mobile phase, is not ionized appreciably by the flame but does form charged droplets by rupturing of the liquid surface. The solute, when desolvated and burned in the flame, forms ionized species which affect the amount of charge on the aerosol particles. The aerosol particles, partially desolvated and ionized by the burner flame, move upward toward a filter electrode which removes gas phase ionic species from the particle stream. The charged, undesolvated aerosol particles passing the filter electrode enter an evacuated detection chamber in which a pair of detector electrodes is positioned. An electrometer system senses a varying current between the detector electrodes as each solute is eluted from the column.