Abstract: | Thirteen of the salts of the alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) with acetic, 2,2-dimethylpropionic, trifluoroacetic and heptafluorobutyric acid have been found to be sufficiently volatile to give mass spectra under normal electron impact conditions. The metal containing ions observed include (M=metal): M]+, MO]+, MCO2]+, M2]+·, M2O]+·, M2CO2]+· and the cluster ions Mn (carboxylate)n-1]+ for n = 2–8. |