The loss of ortho halogeno substituents from substituted thiobenzamide ions

The loss of ortho substituents (CH₃, Cl, Br, I) from molecular ions of substituted thiobenzamides has been investigated by determination of the critical energy and kinetic energy released during this process to obtain some further insight into the corresponding reaction of N,N-dimethylthiobenzamide ions. In contrast to the latter compounds the ortho methyl substituent is not eliminated from the molecular ions of o-methylthiobenzamide, but the loss of ortho halogeno substituents occurs with identical reaction characteristics in both series of compounds. It is concluded that the loss of halogeno substituents from molecular ions in both series corresponds to a direct substitution reaction via a 4-membered transition state.     

Hydride transfer reactions via ion–neutral complex: fragmentation of protonated N‐benzylpiperidines and protonated N‐benzylpiperazines in mass spectrometry

An ion‐neutral complex (INC)‐mediated hydride transfer reaction was observed in the fragmentation of protonated N‐benzylpiperidines and protonated N‐benzylpiperazines in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Upon protonation at the nitrogen atom, these compounds initially dissociated to an INC consisting of [RC₆H₄CH₂]⁺ (R = substituent) and piperidine or piperazine. Although this INC was unstable, it did exist and was supported by both experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In the subsequent fragmentation, hydride transfer from the neutral partner to the cation species competed with the direct separation. The distribution of the two corresponding product ions was found to depend on the stabilization energy of this INC, and it was also approved by the study of substituent effects. For monosubstituted N‐benzylpiperidines, strong electron‐donating substituents favored the formation of [RC₆H₄CH₂]⁺, whereas strong electron‐withdrawing substituents favored the competing hydride transfer reaction leading to a loss of toluene. The logarithmic values of the abundance ratios of the two ions were well correlated with the nature of the substituents, or rather, the stabilization energy of this INC. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Site of alkylation of N-methyl- and N-ethylaniline in the gas phase: a tandem mass spectrometric study

N-Methylaniline (NMA) was ethylated and N-ethylaniline (NEA) was methylated under chemical ionization conditions using C₂H₅I and CH₃I, respectively, as reagent gases. The structures of the resulting m/z 136 adduct ions have been probed using metastable ion and collision-induced dissociation (CID) methods. From the similarity of the spectra obtained and from the presence of structure-diagnostic ions at m/z 59 (CH₃NHC₂H₅^+•) and m/z 44 (CH₃NHCH₂⁺), it is concluded that predominantly N-alkylation occurs in both systems. This interpretation was aided by the use of C₂D₅I and CD₃I as reagents. Adduct ions of m/z 136 were also formed by ethylation of the isomeric toluidines and by methylation of the ring-ethylanilines. The resulting CID mass spectra were distinctly different from those obtained for the m/z 136 ions obtained by alkylation of NMA and NEA. Protonation of N-ethyl-N-methylaniline using CH₃C(O)CH₃ as Brønsted acid reagent produced an m/z 136 species whose CID mass spectrum also featured intense ion signals at m/z 59 and 44. This observation led to the conclusion that protonation with acetone as reagent results, in this case, in dominant N-protonation. However, the CID mass spectrum of the m/z 136 ion formed when CH₃OH was the protonating agent featured a weak signal at m/z 44 and no signal at m/z 59. Hence it was concluded that the latter m/z 136 ion contains a larger contribution from the ring-protonated adduct. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical ionization mass spectra of mononitroarenes

The H₂ and CH₄ chemical ionization mass spectra of a selection of substituted nitrobenzenes have been determined. It is shown that reduction of the nitro group to the amine is favoured by high source temperatures and the presence of water in the ion source. The H₂ chemical ionization mass spectra are much more useful for distinguishing between isomeric compounds than the CH₄ CI mass spectra because of the more extensive fragmentation. For ortho substituents bearing a labile hydrogen abundant [MH ? H₂O]⁺ fragments are observed. When the substituent is electron-releasing both ortho and para substituted nitrobenzenes show abundant [MH? OH]⁺ fragment ions while meta substituted compounds show abundant loss of NO and NO₂ from [MH]⁺. The latter fragmentation is interpreted in terms of protonation para to the substituent or ortho to the vitro function, while the first two fragmentation routes arise from protonation at the nitro group. When the substituent is electron-attracting the chemical ionization mass spectra of isomers are very similar except for the H₂O loss reaction for ortho compounds.     

Das Verhalten disubstituierter Benzole RC6H4Si(CH3)2F bei Elektronenstoß

The electron impact induced fragmentation of disubstituted benzenes of the formulae RC₆H₄Si(CH₃)₂F (R ? p-N(CH₃)₂, p-OCH₃, p-, m-CH₃, H, p-, m-CI, p-, m-Br and p-NO₂), results mainly in an elimination of a methyl radical from the molecular ion. The activation energies for this fragmentation have been measured. The intensities of the molecular and fragment ions, as well as the activation energy, depend upon the substituent R. The change in the activation energy can be explained by the influence of the substituent on the charge distribution of the molecular ions. The activation energies have been calculated using the approximate quantum chemical method of Pariser, Parr and Pople. Calculated and experimental values agree within an order of magnitude and in the dependence on the substituent. The connection of the activation energy with the peak intensity in the mass spectra has been confirmed by intensity calculations on the basis of the quasi-equilibrium theory.     

Structural identification of hindered amine light stabilisers in coil coatings using electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) are the most effective antioxidants currently available for polymer systems in post‐production, in‐service applications, yet the mechanism of their action is still not fully understood. Structural characterisation of HALS in polymer matrices, particularly the identification of structural modifications brought about by oxidative conditions, is critical to aid mechanistic understanding of the prophylactic effects of these molecules. In this work, electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS) was applied to the analysis of a suite of commercially available 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐based HALS. Fragmentation mechanisms for the [M + H]⁺ ions are proposed, which provide a rationale for the product ions observed in the MS/MS and MS³ mass spectra of N‐H, N‐CH₃, N‐C(O)CH₃ and N‐OR containing HALS (where R is an alkyl substituent). A common product ion at m/z 123 was identified for the group of antioxidants containing N‐H, N‐CH₃ or N‐C(O)CH₃ functionality, and this product ion was employed in precursor ion scans on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer to identify the HALS species present in a crude extract from of a polyester‐based coil coating. Using MS/MS, two degradation products were unambiguously identified. This technique provides a simple and selective approach to monitoring HALS structures within complex matrices. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel Ortho effects detected in the fast atom bombardment mass spectra of substituted bisaryl phosphate antagonists of platelet-activating factor

A series of substituted bisaryl phosphate compounds, (R¹CH₂)⁺ ArOP = O(O^?)(OArR²R₃), was analyzed and characterized by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Abundant fragment ions were observed and correlated with the proposed structures. From fragmentation pattersn, ‘ortho effect’ reactions were demonstrated to have occurred when the phosphoryl oxygen reacted with the (CH₂R¹)⁺ and C?O(OCH₃) substituents in the ortho position, relative to the phosphate group, and displaced the R¹ and OCH₃ groups, respectively, to produce phosphorus containing six-membered rings fused to the aryl moiety. When the (CH₂R¹)⁺ substituents were in the meta position relative to the phosphate group, the ‘ortho effect’ reactions were not observed. However, when the C?O(OCH₃) substituent was in the meta position relative to the phosphate group, an abundant fragment ion containing a five-membered phosphate ring fused to the aryl ring was detected with the original phosphoryl oxygen ortho to both the phosphate oxygen and a formyl group, formed from the original C?O(OCH₃) substituent. All other fragmentations not involving the ‘ortho effect’ reactions were nearly identical for the different structural isomers of the substituted bisaryl phosphate compounds.     

α-取代甲苯定向硝化的理论研究

运用密度泛函理论(DFT), 研究了吸电子氟基和供电子羟基在取代甲苯的α-H以后, 其邻、间、对各位次进行硝化反应的速控步骤, 在B3LYP/6-311G**水平上, 计算了该速控步骤基元反应各反应驻点(反应物、过渡态和中间体)的优化几何、电子结构和能量性质, 并首次给出了目标硝化反应速控步骤的IR谱学的动态特征及解析, 从微观层面上验证了反应坐标C—N的形成和C—H的断裂是非协同的, 从而无一级动力学同位素效应的实验事实. 通过对目标硝化反应速控步骤的微观动态计算, 验证了氟基对甲基定位的影响. 氟基的电负性大, 吸电子能力强, 取代甲苯的α-H以后对硝酰阳离子的进攻有抑制作用, 活化能较取代前高, 但比较苄基氟各位次硝化活化能的相对大小得知, －CH₂F仍为邻、对位定向基团. 而供电子羟基取代甲苯的α-H以后, 则对硝酰阳离子的进攻有促进作用, 因而各反应驻点络合物的稳定化能较α-H取代前甲苯的有所增大, 且邻、对位硝化的活化能较间位低, 故－CH₂OH为邻、对位定位基. 但对位因硝化活化能低, 反应放热多, 空间位阻小, 为亲电试剂NO₂⁺最有利的进攻位; 而邻位则因羟基取代甲苯α-H后多了一个氧原子, 增大了邻位进攻的空间位阻, 使得其络合物的能量比相应对位的高.     

Differentiation of AB‐FUBINACA positional isomers by the abundance of product ions using electron ionization–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometric differentiation of structural isomers is important for the analysis of forensic samples. Presently, there is no mass spectrometric method for differentiating halogen positional isomers of cannabimimetic compounds. We describe here a novel and practical method for differentiating one of these compounds, N‐(1‐amino‐3‐methyl‐1‐oxobutan‐2‐yl)‐1‐(4‐fluorobenzyl)‐1H‐indazole‐3‐carboxamide (AB‐FUBINACA (para)), and its fluoro positional (ortho and meta) isomers in the phenyl ring by electron ionization–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. It was found that the three isomers differed in the relative abundance of the ion at m/z 109 and 253 in the product ion spectra, while the detected product ions were identical. The logarithmic values of the abundance ratio of the ions at m/z 109 to 253 (ln(A₁₀₉/A₂₅₃)) were in the order meta < ortho < para and increased linearly with collision energy. The differences in abundances were attributed to differences in the dissociation reactivity between the indazole moiety and the fluorobenzyl group because of the halogen‐positional effect on the phenyl ring. Our methodology, which is based on the abundance of the product ions in mass spectra, should be applicable to determination of the structures of other newly encountered designer drugs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lutidyl Radical Photoelectron Spectra Reveal Additive Substituent Effects on Benzyl Derivatives’ Ionization Energy

Understanding how isomerism influences photoelectron spectra helps in the assignment and analysis of reactive mixtures, especially for heterocycles with numerous isomers. Threshold photoelectron spectra of lutidyl radical isomers, i. e., benzyl derivatives with a nitrogen heteroatom and a methyl substituent, are recorded using vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation. The radicals are produced by flash pyrolysis from aminomethyl methylpyridine precursors. Experimental ionization energies are determined to be 7.54, 7.50, and 7.45 eV for 2,4-, 2,6- and 3,5-lutidyl, respectively, in excellent agreement with composite method calculations. Franck–Condon simulations aid the TPES assignment but are also shown to exhibit artifacts if large-amplitude motions, notably the methyl internal rotation are assumed to be active in the double harmonic approximation. Based on calculated adiabatic ionization energies (AIE) of benzyl, picolyl, and xylyl radicals, the N and CH₃ substituent effects are found to be additive, position-dependent and decrease in the para>ortho≳meta order in magnitude with the nitrogen heteroatom increasing and the methyl substituent decreasing the AIE. These effects are discussed in light of the charge distribution upon ionization. The additivity of the substituent effects also helps predict the influence of substituents on the binding energy of the unpaired electron in analogous radicals.     

13C NMR spectra of p- and m-substituted phenyl N-methyl- and phenyl N,N-dimethyl-carbamates

¹³C NMR spectra of p- and m-substituted phenyl N-methylcarbamates, phenyl N,N-dimethylcarbamates and p- and m-substituted phenyl propionates were recorded, and their para ¹³C SCS (substituent chemical shifts) were analysed by DSP (dual substituent parameters) and DSP-NLR (non-linear resonance) equations. It was found that the fixed substituent Y, ? OCONHCH₃, ? OCON(CH₃)₂ and ? OCOC₂H₅, were all mild in the sense that DSP analysis gave a good correlation, leaving little room for improvement by the DSP-NLR treatment. Further, the three series of compounds gave similar ρ_I and ρ_R values (para derivatives, 3.2–3.3 and 17.7–18.0; meta derivatives, 5.1–5.2 and 21.8–22.0). Examination of the corresponding analyses of similar compounds indicated that the ρ_I and ρ_R values and, hence, their ratio ρ_R/ρ_R = λ, depended primarily on the nature of the atom through which the fixed substituent Y (e.g. α-C, α-N and α-O) was bonded to the aromatic ring when the Y substituents are mild. The extent of this tendency for compounds with active fixed substituents is also discussed.     

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.     

Organic reactions at surfaces: A study of carnitine by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Carnitine inner salt, (CH₃)₃N⁺ CH₂CH(OH)CH₂COO^?, and carnitine hydrochloride, (CH₃)₃N⁺CH₂CH (OH)CH₂COOH Cl^?, in the solid state undergo ion-beam-induced intermolecular methyl transfer reactions as shown by (CH₃)₃N⁺ CH₂CH(OH)CH₂COOCH₃ ions at m/z 176 in their positive ion spectra. In the case of carnitine HCl, the product ion is three times as abundant as the intact cation. For the inner salt however, the product is less than one-tenth as abundant as [M + H] ⁺. In both cases, the reaction can be precluded by dissolution of the sample, supporting an intermolecular mechanism. The negative ion spectra for these compounds contain no [M ? CH₃]^? ions, suggesting that simple transmethylation does not occur. Rather it is proposed that the inner salt abstracts a methyl group from the intact carnitine cation to yield [M + CH₃]⁺ and a neutral species, the driving force being a minimization of the total number of charges desorbed into the gas phase. Thermodynamic data favor this mechanism as do data for other carnitine salts. The reaction appears to be inhibited when one reactant is present in excess. This is the case for carnitine HNO₃ and CH₃SO₃H, which tend to liberate the intact cation since the anions are large and polarizable. It is also the case for small, hard anions like fluoride, which appear to favor release of the inner salt, hence the cation at m/z 162 is of low abundance and the transmethylation product (m/z 176) is absent. The extent of the reaction is also dependent on the methods of preparation of the sample, and deposition of the salts from solution greatly reduces the extent of methyl transfer. [M ? CH₃]^? is observed when glycerol is used as a matrix, possibly due to a matrix-analyte methyl transfer reaction.     

Effect of substituent group interaction in the fragmentation of some pyrrolidin-3-ones

The decomposition after electron impact of some N-alkyl and N-aryl pyrrolidin-3-ones has been examined and fragmentation mechanisms influenced by the substituents on the nitrogen have been observed. Accurate mass measurement, deuterium labelling, kinetic energy release measurements and metastable (DADI) ion abundances, permit the elucidation of the probable mechanism of formation of the most intense fragment ions. The available experimental evidence indicates the occurrence of rearrangement processes leading to important product ions in the mass spectra of the N-aryl derivatives. This type of fragmentation has been interpreted as the result of the combined action of two groups on the nitrogen atom of the heterocyclic nucleus.     

o-Nitrobenzylidene compounds. I—Competitive ortho interactions in the mass spectra of n-o-nitrobenzylidene-o-substituted anilines

The intense [M – 17]⁺ ion, which is a characteristic feature of the mass spectra of N-o-nitrobenzylideneaniline and its simple derivatives, may be substantially reduced in intensity when the aniline-derived ring is also ortho substituted: the intensity is lowest when this ortho substituent has a nucleophilic character and can itself interact with the CH?N group. The ortho substituents examined are Br, CH₃, OH, NH₂, SH, SC₆H₄CH₃(p), CO₂CH₃ and CO₂C₂H₅.     

Gas-phase nazarov cyclization of protonated 2-methoxy and 2-hydroxychalcone: An example of intramolecular proton-transport catalysis

Upon CA, ESI generated [M + H]⁺ ions of chalcone (benzalacetophenone) and 3-phenyl-indanone both undergo losses of H₂O, CO, and the elements of benzene. CA of the [M + H]⁺ ions of 2-methoxy and 2-hydroxychalcone, however, prompts instead a dominant loss of ketene. In addition, CA of the [M + H]⁺ ions of 2-methoxy-β-methylchalcone produces an analogous loss of methylketene instead. Furthermore, the [M + D]⁺ ion of 2-methoxychalcone upon CA eliminates only unlabeled ketene, and the resultant product, the [M + D − ketene]⁺ ion, yields only the benzyl-d ₁ cation upon CA. We propose that the 2-methoxy and 2-hydroxy (ortho) substituents facilitate a Nazarov cyclization to the corresponding protonated 3-aryl-indanones by mediating a critical proton transfer. The resultant protonated indanones then undergo a second proton transport catalysis facilitated by the same ortho substituents producing intermediates that eliminate ketene to yield 2-methoxy- or 2-hydroxyphenyl-phenyl-methylcarbocations, respectively. The basicity of the ortho substituent is important; for example, replacement of the ortho function with a chloro substituent does not provide an efficient catalyst for the proton transports. The Nazarov cyclization must compete with an alternate cyclization, driven by the protonated carbonyl group of the chalcone that results in losses of H₂O and CO. The assisted proton transfer mediated by the ortho substituent shifts the competition in favor of the Nazarov cyclization. The proposed mechanisms for cyclization and fragmentation are supported by high-mass resolving power data, tandem mass spectra, deuterium labeling, and molecular orbital calculations.     

Metastable peak study in methylactophenone isomers

The relative intensity of the metastable peaks at 70 eV appearing at m/z 105.7 and 69.6 in the mass spectra of methylacetophenone isomers, as well as the kinetic energy (T_1/2) released with the peaks at 14 and 70 eV respectively, are reported. The profile of all the metastable peaks studied has been found to be approximately flat-topped. For the same transition it is found that the kinetic energy released with the metastable peaks formed by unimolecular decomposition of the three isomers decreases from the ortho to the para isomer. In addition, the kinetic energy released during the same transition is found to be roughly directly proportional to their corresponding intensity ratios. This result, together with the observation that the energy released with each metastable peak decreases by lowering the electron energy, may reveal the role of the internal energy of the reacting ions in producing the kinetic energy associated with the metastable peaks produced from methylacetophenone isomers.     

The ortho effect in the mass spectra of ortho/para isomers of bisphenol a derivatives and related compounds

New examples of the ortho effect in bisphenol A derivatives including interaction of the hydrogen of the ortho-hydroxy group with the neighbouring aromatic ring have been observed. The characteristic ions [M ? PhOH]^+middot; (m/z = 134) and [M ? CH₃ ? PhOH]⁺ (m/z = 119) were shown to form through the hydrogen transfer from hydroxy and isopropyl groups, respectively. The spectra of cyclic derivatives having ortho-hydroxy functions show [M ? 43]⁺, [M ? C₈H₉O]⁺, m/z = 147, m/z = 135 and [M ? C₉H₁₀O]⁺ ions. The proposed mechanims of the corresponding transformations were supported by mass spectra of deuterated analogues, methyl and trimethyl silyl ethers.     

Sulphonylium ions in the gas phase

Electron impact mass spectrometry was used to investigate the fragmentation of a series of arenesulphonyl chlorides. Sequential losses of a chlorine atom and sulphur dioxide from the molecular ions occurred and the reverse of these reactions had small critical energies that were generally unaffected by the ring substituent. However, an interesting intramolecular cyclization reaction occurring on the ortho-nitro derivative is discussed with the aid of kinetic energy release measurements on this derivative and on a model compound. Appearance energy measure ments combined with multiple scattering Xα calculations led to an estimate of the sulphur-chlorine bond strength in benzenesulphonyl chloride.     

Reactions of the trimethylsilyl ion with 1,2-cyclopentanediol isomers in the collision region of a triple quadrupole instrument

Ion-molecule reactions with the trimethylsilyl ion were used to distinguish between cis- and trans-1,2-cyclopentanediol isomers. The ion kinetic energy of [Si(CH₃)₃]⁺ was varied from 0 eV to 15 eV (center of mass frame of reference). At low ion kinetic energies (<4 eV), there are significant differences in the relative stabilities and decomposition behavior of the adduct ions [M + Si(CH₃)₃]⁺. The cis-1,2-cyclopentanediol isomer favors decomposition of [M + Si(CH₃)₃]⁺ to yield the hydrated trimethylsilyl ion [Si(CH₃)₃OH₂]⁺ at m/z 91. For the trans isomer, the formation of the hydrated trimethylsilyl ion is an endothermic process with a definite threshold ion kinetic energy.