C-C and C-H bond activation in the fragmentation of the [M + Ni]+ adducts of aliphatic amino acids

The major metal-containing species formed upon fast atom bombardment of amino acid/Ni⁺² mixtures is the M + Ni]⁺ adduct, involving reduction of the Ni⁺² to the +1 oxidation state. By contrast, electrospray ionization of amino acid/Ni⁺² mixtures produces predominantly Ni(M ? H)M]⁺; this species, on collisional activation, produces predominantly M + Ni]⁺ by elimination of M - H], presumably a carboxylate radical. The unimolecular fragmentation reactions occurring on the metastable ion time scale for the M + Ni]⁺ adducts of a variety of α-amino acids have been recorded. The adducts with phenylalanine, α-aminoisobutyric acid and α-aminobutyric acid fragment by elimination of H₂O, H₂O + CO and, to a minor extent, by elimination of CO₂. These reactions are similar to those observed for the M + Cu]⁺ adducts of α-amino acids. A reaction distinctive for the M + Ni]⁺ adducts involves formation of the immonium ion RCH=NH ₂ ⁺ . By contrast, the M + Ni]⁺ adducts with leucine, isoleucine, and norleucine show extensive metastable ion fragmentation by elimination of H₂, CH₄, C₂H₄, C₃H₆, and C₄H₈, with the relative importance of the different fragmentation channels depending on the configuration of the C₄H₉ side chain. These results are interpreted in terms of C-C and C-H bond activation of the C₄H₉ side chain by the Ni⁺. The adducts with valine and norvaline fragment in a fashion similar to the adduct with phenylalanine, except that minor elimination of C₃H₆ is observed.