Mass spectra of halogenated esters: 8. Methyl esters of 2,3-dichloro-, bromochloro- and dibromopropenoic acids

The mass spectral fragmentation of methyl esters of E and Z isomers of 2,3-dichloro-, 2-bromo-3-chloro-, 3-bromo-2-chIoro- and 2,3-dibromopropenoic acids have been investigated. The M^+˙ peak is shown with all isomers, the [M ? OCH₃]⁺, [M ? X]⁺, [M ? OCH₃ ? CO]⁺, [M ? OCH₃ ? CO ? X]^+˙ and [M ? OCH₃ ? CO ? X ? X]⁺ ions constituting abundant peaks in all spectra. The results, particularly from the bromochloro isomers, show that a halogen atom is eliminated from the 3- rather than the 2- position and from the Z rather than the E isomer. Bromine as a bulky atom is preferentially lost.     

Participation of halogen atoms in hydrogen transfer between remote positions in gas-phase ionized isomeric haloresorcinols

Mono, di- and trihaloresorcinols substituted by a halogen atom at position 2 exhibit a highly specific elimination of H₂O on electron impact ionization and under conditions of collisionally induced dissociation (CID). The high isomer specificity suggests the intermediacy of a hydrogen transfer from one of the hydroxy groups to the adjacent halogen atom. A subsequent hydrogen migration to the other hydroxy group readily explains the facile elimination of H₂O from the M^+· ions of these particular isomers. An analogous three-step hydrogen transfer has not been observed in 2,3-dihalo-l,4-hydroquinones. 4-Bromo- and 4-icdoresorcinol undergo elimination of the halogen atom followed by a very fast loss of CO under CID conditions, affording [M ? Hal]⁺ ions of low abundance and highly abundant[M ? Hal ? CO]⁺ ions. The elimination of CO is suppressed in the isomeric 5-haloresorcinols, resulting in very highly abundant [M ? Hal]⁺ ions. This behavior suggests that a ‘hidden hydrogen transfer’ accompanies the elimination of the halogen atom from the molecular ions of 4-haloresorcinols.     

Fragmentation of organosulfur compounds upon electron impact. Part III. Metastable decomposition of the molecular ions of methyl thioglycolate and ethyl thioglycolate

The metastable decompositions of the molecular ions of methyl thioglycolate (1) and ethyl thioglycolate (2) were investigated by means of mass analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectra and deuterium labeling. The loss of methanol is the only metastable decomposition of 1^+·. This fragmentation occurs via two distinct pathways. The molecular ions of 2 decompose in a variety of ways, i.e., the losses of water, ethene, ethanol or ?₂H₃O₂. All of these decompositions, except the loss of ethene, occur through two distinct mechanisms. During the loss of ?₂H₃O₂, the ethyl group or ethene migrates from the oxygen to the sulfur atom. The loss of H?S, which corresponds to the loss of H?O with a concomitant double hydrogen transfer observed in the case of methyl glycolate (3), does not participate in the metastable decomposition of 1^+· and 2^+·. This is due to the energetic favorableness of the loss of methanol.     

Origin of the [C4H9O]+ ions in the mass spectrum of n-butyl ethyl ether

The mechanisms of formation of m/z 73 ions in the mass spectrum of the ionized title compound were investigated by deuterium substitution and by examining the decompositions of metastable ions. Two routes to the [C₄H₉O]⁺ ions were found in the normal spectrum. The ethyl lost by the major pathway contains the α- and β-hydrogens and a γ-hydrogen from the butyl group. The minor route involves the loss of ethylene from the [M? H]⁺ ion. There were metastable peaks for losses of ethyl, ethanol and methyl from the molecular ion. The ethyl contains the α- and β-methylenes and a γ-hydrogen, while the methyl is the δ-methyl of the butyl group. The labeling data rule out a previous mechanistic proposal for the loss of ethyl and support a mechanism involving stepwise isomerization to the sec-butyl ethyl ether molecular ion. However, the metastable ion chemistries of the molecular ions from the n- and sec-butyl ethyl ethers are highly dissimilar, perhaps due to decompositions from different electronic states. The n-pentyl methyl ether ions loses both ethyl and propyl, apparently following rearrangements to the 3-pentyl and 2-pentyl ether ions. Di n-butyl and n-butyl methyl ethers also give metastable peaks for loss of methyl, ethyl and the shorter chain alcohol.     

Gas-phase protonation and methyl cation transfer from methyl halide ions

The ion-molecule reactions between [CH₃X]⁺˙ [CH₃XH] ⁺, [CH₃XCH₃]⁺ ions (X = F, Cl, Br, I) and a number of nucleophiles have been studied by ion cyclotron resonance techniques. Protonation of the nucleophiles is observed to occur from both the molecular ions [CH₃]X⁺˙ and protonated species [CH₃XH]⁺ whereas dimethylhalonium ions [CH₃XCH₃]⁺ react principally by methyl cation transfer. A notable exception occurs in methyl iodide where the molecular ions [CH₃I]⁺˙ act both as proton and methyl cation donors, whereas dimethyliodonium ions are found unreactive. The results are discussed with reference to the use of alkyl halides as reagent gases in chemical ionization experiments.     

Electron impact mass spectra of chlorinated methyl propanoates

The mass spectral fragmentations of all eleven chlorinated methyl propanoates have been studied. Deuterium labelling and metastable ion analysis were used to elucidate the fragmentation mechanism. The molecular ion peaks of all compounds are small, except methyl 3,3-dichloropanoate (38%). In most cases α-cleavage gives the base peak [COOCH₃]⁺, and the loss of a chlorine atom from the molecular ion is characteristic of the 3-chloro, 3,3-dichloro and 3,3,3-trichloro compounds. Metastable ions showed the losses of small neutral molecules such as CH₃OH, CH₂CO, CO₂ and CO from the [M? Cl]⁺ ion. α-Cleavage and the loss of Cl^˙ gives an intense [M? COOCH₃? Cl]^+˙ peak, which is the base peak in the spectra of the 2,3-dichloro and 2,3,3-trichloro compounds.     

Loss of methyl from ionized 2-hydroxy-1,3-butadiene

The loss of methyl from unstable, metastable and collisionally activated [CH₂?CH? C(OH)?CH₂]⁺˙ ions (1⁺˙) was examined by means of deuterium and ¹³C labelling, appearance energy measurements and product identification. High-energy, short-lived 1⁺˙ lose methyl groups incorporating the original enolic methene (C(1)) and the hydroxyl hydrogen atom (H(0)). The eliminations of C(1)H(1)H(1)H(4) and C(4)H(4)H(4)H(0) are less frequent in high-energy ions. Metastable 1⁺˙ eliminate mainly C(1)H(1)H(1)H(4), the elimination being accompanied by incomplete randomization of the five carbon-bound hydrogen atoms. The resulting [C₃H₃O]⁺ ions have been identified as the most stable CH₂?CH? CO⁺ species. The appearance energy for the loss of methyl from 1 was measured as AE[C₃H₃O]⁺ = 10.47 ± 0.05 eV. The critical energy for 1⁺˙ → [C₃H₃O]⁺ + CH₃˙ is assessed as E_c ? 173 kJ mol^?1. Reaction mechanisms are proposed and discussed.     

Stereochemical effects in the electron impact mass spectra of cis–trans isomeric 1,2,3,5-tetramethylcyclohexanes and some trimethylcyclohexanes

The mass spectra of 10 isomeric trimethylcyclohexanes and six cis–trans isomeric 1,2,3,5-tetramethylcyclohexanes are discussed. The thermochemically stable isomers show a higher abundance of the [M? CH₃]⁺ ions and a lower abundance of the [M? C₂H₅]⁺ ions than the strained isomers. The log of the intensity ratio for loss of methyl and ethyl from the molecular ions correlates well with the strain energies and with the mean number of gauche arrangements of the stereoisomers.     

Isomerization and fragmentation of aliphatic ether radical cations: Interconversion of distonic ions and cyclopropane intermediates

The reactions of propyl ether radical cations close to threshold are initiated by (reversible) formation of γ-disitonic isomers, R$ \mathop {\rm O}\limits^ + $ (H)CH₂CH₂CH₂^·. The three methylene groups in these ions lose their positional identity by ring closure/ring opening via [cyclopropane + alcohol]^+· intermediates. Extensive hydrogen exchange occurs within the C₃-chain. When R is not methyl the γ-distonic isomer undergoes further intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer reactions that lead to formation of α- and β-distonic ions. The α-distonic isomers expel ethyl and propyl radicals by C? O bond cleavage.     

Mass spectra of chlorinated esters: 2—Methyl mono- and dichlorobutanoates

The mass spectral fragmentations of methyl mono- and dichlorobutanates have been studied. Deutrium labelling and metastable ion analysis were used to elucidate the fragmentation mechanisms. The molecular ion peaks of the esters are weak and show only in the spectra of the monochloro isomers. A McLafferty rearrangement gives the base peaks in the spectra of methyl 2-chloro-, 4-chloro- and 4,4-dichlorobutanoate; α-cleavage, [COOCH₃]⁺, in methyl 2,2- and 2,4-dichlorobutanoate; [M? Cl]⁺, in methyl 3-chlorobutanoate; [M? Cl? HCl]⁺, in methyl 3,4-dichlorobutanoate; [M? Cl? CH₂CO]⁺, in methyl 3,3-dichlorobutanoate and [M? Cl? COOCH₃]^+˙, in methyl erythro- and threo-2,3-dichlorobutanoate. The mass spectra of the stereoisomers are nearly identical, the loss of a chlorine atom and the McLafferty rearrangement giving the higher peaks in the spectrum of the threo form.     

Mass spectra of alkenyl methyl ethers

Electron impact ionization mass spectra of numerous alkenyl methyl ethers C_nH_2n-1OCH₃ (n = 3–6) recorded under normal (4 kV, 70 eV, 175°C) and low-energy, low-temperature (8 kV, 12 eV, 75 °C) conditions are reported. The influence of the position and stereochemistry of the double bond on the dissociation of ionized alkenyl methyl ethers is discussed. The mechanisms by which these ethers fragment after ionization have been further investigated using extensive ²H-labelling experiments and by studying the energy dependence of the reactions. Ethers of allylic alcohols show spectra that are distinct from those of the isomeric species in which the double bond is separated by one or more sp³ carbon atoms from the carbon atom carrying the methoxy group. Three principal primary fragmentations are observed. The most common process, especially for ionized ethers of allylic alcohols, is loss of an alkyl group. This reaction often occurs by simple α-cleavage of radical-cations of the appropriate structure; however, alkyl groups attached to either end of the double bond are also readily lost. These formal β- and γ-cleavages are explained in terms of rearrangements via distonic ions and, at least in the case of γ-cleavages, ionized methoxycyclopropanes. Ionized homoallyl methyl ethers tend to eliminate an allylic radical, particularly at high internal energies, with formation of an oxonium ion (CH₃ ⁺O?CH₂ or CH₃ ⁺O?CHCH₃). The ethers of linear pentenols and hexenols show abundant [M - CH₃OH]⁺? ions in their spectra, especially when a terminal methoxy group is present Methanol loss also takes place from ionized ethers of allylic alcohols in which there is a Δ-hydrogen atom; this process is significantly favoured by cis, rather than trans, stereochemistry of the double bond.     

Mass spectrometry of pyridine compounds–IV: The formation and decomposition of the [M – methyl]+ ion [C8H10N]+ from 4-t-butylpyridine in comparison with that of the [M – methyl]+ ion [C9H11]+ from t-butylbenzene,as studied by D- and 13C-labelling

A strong secondary isotope effect is observed in the preferred loss of methyl vs. trideutero-methyl from the molecular ions of appropriately labelled 4-t-butylpyridine and t-butylbenzene decomposing in the first and second field free regions of a double focusing mass spectrometer. This has been rationalised by invoking the theory of radiationless transitions², which can account for the higher population of activated states responsible for loss of methyl vs. that for trideuteromethyl. ¹³C-Labelling at the central carbon atom of the t-butyl group indicates that the [M – methyl]⁺ ions, decomposing further by elimination of ethylene, cannot be represented exclusively by a pyridylated (or phenylated) cyclopropane ion if present at all. It is concluded that ions with structures generated by 1,2-hydrogen-, 1,2-pyridyl- (or 1,2-phenyl-) and 1,2-methyl shifts must also play a role. D-labelling further shows an extensive randomisation of side-chain hydrogen atoms in the [M-methyl]⁺ ions of 4-t-butylbenzene; in this case, however, the expelled ethylene also contains ring hydrogen atoms (≤2). Presumably this is caused by exchange between the side-chain and ortho-hydrogen atoms in the initially generated phenyldimethylcarbinyl carbenium ion.     

Stereospecific alcohol elimination from dialkyl mesaconates under electron impact: Another example of a hidden hydrogen transfer

Under electron impact dimethyl and diethyl mesaconates give rise to abundant [M ? MeOH]⁺ and [M ? EtOH]⁺ ions, respectively. The geometrically isomeric citraconates yield [M ? MeO]⁺ and [M ? EtO]⁺ ions. Mixed methyl ethyl mesaconates eliminate both methanol and ethanol. These findings, together with the results of a deuterium labelling study, indicate that the elimination of alcohol from the molecular ions of the mesaconates is partially preceded by a hidden hydrogen transfer step.     

Specific features of the interaction of methyl ethers of methyl (methyl-α-D-galactopyranoside)uronate with trimethylsilyl ions in the gas phase

Specific features of the interaction between trimethylsilyl ions and methyl (methyl-α-d-galactopyranoside)uronate and its methyl ethers were revealed. It was shown that a hydrogen atom is generated when the trimethylsilyl ion is located at hydroxyl group. This atom migrates over the methoxy and hydroxyl groups toward the glycoside methoxy group, resulting in the formation of [Me+SiMe₃−MeOH]⁺ ions. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1317–1319, July, 1997.     

Temperature effect on the single and double hydrogen atom transfer reactions in o-, m-and p-toluic acid butyl esters

The temperature effect on the single and double hydrogen atom transfer reactions in o-, m- and p-toluic acid n-butyl esters and isobutyl esters has been investigated. For the meta and para isomers, the abundance of the m/z 137 ion [C₈H₉O₂]⁺ generated by a double hydrogen atom transfer reaction increases relative to the m/z 136 ion [C₈H₈O₂]⁺˙ generated by a single hydrogen atom transfer reaction upon lowering the temperature of the ionization chamber. On the other hand, the ratio of the peak abundances [137]⁺/[136]⁺ for the ortho isomers is nearly constant when the temperature is changed. It is shown that this is due to the difference between the appearance energies of the m/z 136 and m/z 137 ions.     

Electron impact mass spectra of polycyclic aromatic compounds with several types of pyridino- and benzobenzanthrone skeletons

Electron impact mass spectra were measured for five isomers of pyridinobenzanthrones and three isomers of benzobenzanthrones. The fragmentation pattern and intensity of M²⁺, [M – H]⁺, [M – CO]ⁱ⁺, [M – CO – H(or 2H)]ⁱ⁺ and [M – CO – HCN]ⁱ⁺ (i = 1, 2) ions indicated remarkable differences and very interesting features according to the isomers with or without nitrogen and condensation positions of a pyridino or benzo ring to the benzanthrone skeleton. Further, the competition of decompositions through [M – H]⁺, [M – CO]^+˙ or [M – HCN]^+˙ ions was confirmed by the observation of metastable ions and the appearance energies of fragment ions. Interesting observations from these results were expulsion of an H atom in close proximity to the area around an O?C group, a weak bonding interaction between sp² C? H and an O?C group, inducing specific hydrogen rearrangement, and characteristic charge localization on heteroatoms.     

Translational energy release and stereochemistry of steroids 6—Contribution of the 18- and 19-methyl groups to the translational energy release for the angular methyl loss in unsaturated steroids

The translational energy, T, released during angular methyl loss from the molecular ions of unsaturated steriod hydrocarbons and alcohols, containing the double bond in the position allylic to either the 19-CH₃ or 18-CH₃ group, has been measured. The different contributions of the two angular methyl groups to the overall T value for the [M]⁺˙→[M? CH₃]⁺ reaction are discussed.     

Ion–molecule reaction in the gas phase 4—Stereospecific nucleophilic substitution under ammonia chemical ionization conditions from diastereomeric methyl and benzyl ethers of 3-hydroxy steroids

The ammonia chemical ionization (CI/[NH₄⁺]) mass spectra of a series of diastereomeric methyl and benzyl ethers derived from 3-hydroxy steroids (unsaturated in position 5 and saturated) have been studied. The adduct ions [M+NH₄]⁺ and [MH]⁺ and the substitution product ions [M+NH₄? ROH]⁺ (thereafter called [M_sH]⁺) are characterized by an inversion in their relative stabilites in relation to their initial configuration. [M+NH₄]_α⁺ and [MH]_α⁺ formed from the α-Δ⁵-steroid isomers are stabilized by the presence of a hydrogen bond which is not possible for the β-isomers. This stereochemical effect has also been observed in the mass analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectra of [M+NH₄]⁺ and [MH]⁺. The MIKE spectra of [M_sH]⁺ indicate that those issued from the β-isomers are more stable than the one originating from the α-isomers. This behavior is also observed in the first field free region (HV scan spectra) for [MH]⁺, [M_sH]⁺ and [M+NH₄]⁺ which are precursors of the ethylenic carbocations (base peak in the conventional CI/[NH₄]⁺ spectra). Mechanisms, such as S_N1 and S_Ni, have been ruled out for the formation of [M_sH]⁺, but instead the data support an S_N2 mechanism during the ion-molecule reaction between [M+NH₄]⁺ and NH₃.     

Mass spectra of chlorinated aromatics formed in pulp bleaching 2—Chlorinated guaiacols

The fragmentation of chlorinated guaiacols (2-methoxyphenols) on electron impact has been studied. The most common fragmentation processes are interpreted and in some cases the small differences between spectra of positional isomers are explained. In addition to the well-known alkyl-oxygen fission (loss of methyl radical), metastable ion studies and deuterium labelling have indicated several new fragmentation pathways. The most characteristic are the formation of [M? CH₃? HCl]⁺ and [M? CH₃? Cl]^+· ions. In general, however, the spectra of positional isomers are shown to be very similar.     

Structure of proton disolvates formed in the acid hydrolysis of ethyl formate and methyl acetate

By the density functional method (B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p)) optimal structures of proton hetero and homo disolvates involving water molecules, ethyl formate, methyl acetate and products of their hydrolysis are calculated. The data on the structure of these ions and the strength of their H bonds are analyzed together with the results of a similar calculation previously performed for methyl formate. It is shown that in proton solvation by two molecules present in the solution during the hydrolysis of ethyl formate, methyl acetate, and methyl formate stable (X…H…X)⁺ or (X…H…Y)⁺ particles form. Structural and energy parameters of their O…H…O bridges obey the same regularities and are mainly determined by a difference in the proton affinity of X and Y molecules. Calculation results are compared to the data of a number of experimental studies of the acid hydrolysis of esters.