We investigated the emission of the secondary ions stimulated by single impacts of 136 keV Au-400(4+) projectiles. The study was carried out on targets of glycine, phenylalanine, and C-60. In addition, a target of C-60 was examined with 18 keV C-60(+) projectiles. The experiments were performed in the event-by-event bombardment/detection mode. The secondary ions were identified with linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with an 8-anode detector. The Au-400(4+) projectile induces abundant multi-ion emission, for instance the average number of detected ions (atomic, fragment, molecular and cluster ions) emitted per event from glycine target is 12.5. The glycine intact molecular ion (Gly(-)) yield is 1.14. The bombardment of a C-60 target results in the efficient emission of multiple intact C-60(-) (total yield is 0.15). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.