Uncatalyzed,Regioselective Oxidation of Saturated Hydrocarbons in an Ambient Corona Discharge |
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| Authors: | Stephen T Ayrton Rhys Jones David S Douce Mike R Morris R Graham Cooks |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA;2. MS Research, Waters Corporation, Wilmslow, UK |
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| Abstract: | Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in air or in nitrogen with just traces of oxygen is shown to yield regioselective oxidation, dehydrogenation, and fragmentation of alkanes. Ozone is produced from ambient oxygen in situ and is responsible for the observed ion chemistry, which includes partial oxidation to ketones and C?C cleavage to give aldehydes. The mechanism of oxidation is explored and relationships between ionic species produced from individual alkanes are established. Unusually, dehydrogenation occurs by water loss. Competitive incorporation into the hydrocarbon chain of nitrogen versus oxygen as a mode of ionization is also demonstrated. |
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| Keywords: | hydrocarbons mass spectrometry nitrogen oxidation reaction mechanisms |
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