Characterization of isomeric [CH5P]+˙ and [C2H7P]+˙ radical cations and some [C2H6P]+ phosphonium ions in the gas phase by their collisional activation spectra

Collisional activation spectra were used to characterize isomeric ion structures for CH₅P]^+˙ and C₂H₇P]^+˙ radical cations and C₂H₆P]⁺ even-electron ions. Apart from ionized methylphosphane, CH₃PH₂]^+˙, ions of structure CH₂PH₃]^+˙ appear to be stable in the gas phase. Among the isomeric C₂H₇P]^+˙ ions stable ion structures CH₂PH₂CH₃]^+˙ and CH₂CH₂PH₃]^+˙/CH₃CHPH₃]^+˙ are proposed as being generated by appropriate dissociative ionization reactions of alkyl phosphanes. At least three isomeric C₂H₆]⁺ ions appear to exist, of which \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm CH}_{\rm 3} - \mathop {\rm P}\limits^{\rm + } {\rm H = CH}_{\rm 2} $\end{document} could be identified positively.