Massenspektrometrie isomerer Diazaphenanthrene—I

The mass spectra of five diazaphenanthrenes formed by photochemical cyclodehydrogenation of styryl diazines are investigated. It is shown that fragmentation of these compounds starts almost exclusively at the heterocyclic part of the molecule and proceeds by competitive α-cleavage. From the intensity ratios of the ions [M ? H˙]⁺, [M ? HCN]⁺˙, [M ? N₂]⁺˙ and [M ? 2 HCN]⁺˙ generated in this way, each isomer can unequivocally be identified.