Water loss from molecular protonated ions of benzyl 2-phenylethyl ether and derivatives

The skeletal rearrangement for water loss is the dominant ion reaction in the chemical ionization mass spectrum of benzyl 2-phenylethyl ether. Isotopic distributions obtained for this reaction with specifically labelled derivatives have been interpreted in terms of competing five- and six-centred skeletal rearrangements. Chemical substitution of the alternative aromatic rings strongly influences the balance of the competition.     

Chemical ionisation mass spectra of explosives

The chemical ionisation mass spectra of a number of representative explosives have been obtained using hydrogen as reagent gas. Fragmentation modes of the protonated molecular ions tend to be simple although some rearrangements have been noted. Loss of a radical from an even electron parent ion has been observed. The use of ‘ghost spectra’ for confirmation of the molecular weight of the sample is stressed: these consist of ions of low abundance resulting from reactions between sample ions and sample molecules. Labelling studies were carried out using deuterium as reagent gas.     

Chiral NMR discrimination of piperidines and piperazines using (18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid

Enantiomeric discrimination is observed in the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of piperidines and piperazines in the presence of (-)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid. The amines are protonated by the carboxylic acid groups of the crown ether to produce the corresponding ammonium and carboxylate ions. Association of the ammonium ion with the crown ether likely involves two hydrogen bonds with the crown ether oxygen atoms and an ion pair with the carboxylate anion. Methyl, hydroxymethyl, phenyl, carboxyl, pyridyl, and cyclohexyl substituent groups alpha to the nitrogen atom do not inhibit binding of the ammonium ion to the crown ether. The NMR spectra of piperidines with the stereogenic center alpha or beta to the nitrogen atom exhibit substantial enantiomeric discrimination. Dibasic substrates such as the piperizines are likely converted to their diprotonated form in the presence of the crown ether, and both nitrogen atoms appear to associate with the crown ether moiety.     

Claisen rearrangement induced by low-energy collision of ESI-generated, protonated benzyloxy indoles

The Claisen rearrangement is a well-known process occurring in condensed phase. In the gas-phase protonated allyl phenyl ethers, propargyl phenyl ethers, and N-allyl aniline produced by positive ion chemical ionization undergo Claisen rearrangement. This reaction has been observed even in the case of odd-electron molecular ions. Phenyl allenyl ether molecular ions actually undergo Claisen rearrangement, producing intense [M - CO](+*) ions. In this investigation, the behavior of protonated benzyloxy indole and some of its derivatives, obtained in electrospray conditions, is described. Low-energy MS/MS experiments carried out on [M + H](+) species show CO loss and an unexpected water loss: both can be justified only by the occurrence of Claisen rearrangement. Deuterium labeling experiments confirm this mechanism. The influence of different substituents in the indole moiety is discussed.     

Skeletal rearrangement for water loss from molecular protonated ions of t-butoxycyclohexane

Isotopic labelling and chemical substitution support the proposition that the skeletal rearrangement for water loss from molecular protonated ions of t-butoxycyclohexane involves competition between three reaction pathways. The principal reaction pathway (83%) involves migration of the t-butyl group to the 2-(6-) position of the cyclohexyl ring with reciprocal hydrogen transfer. A second reaction pathway (12%) involves ring contraction followed by reciprocal exchange of the t-butyl group with the 2-(5-) hydrogen atom of the nascent cyclopentyl ring. The third reaction pathway (5%) involves rearrangement of a proton-bound complex to permit ipso attack by isobutene. Stereospecific substitutions indicate that the principal reaction pathway is susceptible to 1,3-diaxial interactions.     

Similarities and differences in the electron ionization-induced fragmentation of structurally related N-alkoxymethyl lactams and sultams

Unimolecular fragmentation patterns of the molecular ions of selected lactams and sultams bearing alkoxymethyl group at the nitrogen atom were studied. The main common fragmentation reaction observed for all compounds studied in this work is the elimination of an aldehyde molecule. This reaction is considered to proceed via two different mechanisms. For lactams, hydrogen rearrangement within an alkoxymethyl group is observed, which leads to the appropriate N-methyl derivatives. For sultams, transfer of the methyl group to the nitrogen and oxygen atoms, proceeding through an ion-neutral complex, dominates. Another important fragmentation channel characteristic exclusively for lactams is the loss of an alkyl radical. This process takes place within the N-alkoxymethyl moiety, yielding the appropriate protonated ion of N-formyllactams. This process is accompanied by relatively high kinetic energy release.     

POLYMERIC MOLECULAR PATTERN IN THE CRYSTALS OF A CALCIUM(II) COMPLEX WITH PYRIDINE-3,4-DICARBOXYLATE AND WATER LIGANDS

Abstract

Crystals of triaquamono (μ-pyridine-3,4-dicarboxylato-O,O′,O,O′)(aqua-O)calcium(II) contain molecular ribbons in which two adjacent calcium ions are bridged via oxygen atoms donated by the carboxylate group attached to carbon atom “3” in the pyridine ring. Both oxygen atoms are bidentate, each being coordinated to two caloium ions. In addition, every second pair of calcium(II) ions is bridged by a water oxygen atom. The coordination polyhedron around the calcium(II) ion is pentagonal bipyramidal; its equatorial plane is composed of two bridging oxygen atoms each belonging to the carboxylate group of the adjacent ligands, the bridging water oxygen atom and two coordinated water molecules. Another coordinated water oxygen atom constitutes the apex of the pyramid on one side of the pentagon, while two bridging carboxylate oxygen atoms donated by the same carboxylate group make two apices on the other side of the pentagon. The pyridine hetero-ring nitrogen atom does not participate in coordination to the central ion. Both oxygen atoms of the carboxylate group attached to the carbon atom in position “4” of the pyridine ring are not directly coordinated to the calcium(II) ion and act only as acceptors in the hydrogen bond system.     

The Crystal and Molecular Structure of a New Calcium(II) Complex with Pyridine-2,6-DiCarboxylate,Water and Nitrate Ligands

Crystals of {catena-[μ-aqua-O]bis[μ-pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylato-O,N-O']} {[monoaqua-nitrato, O-calcium(II)] [diaqua-calcium(II)]} contain dimeric units composed of two calcium(II) ions and two ligand molecules, in which the calcium ions are bridged by two bidentate oxygen atoms, each donated by one carboxylic group of the ligand. The Ca(II) ion is also coordinated by one oxygen atom of the second carboxylate group and the hetero-ring nitrogen atom belonging to the same ligand molecule. The dimers form molecular chains through protons situated at the symmetry centers halfway between the non-bridging carboxylate oxygen atoms. In addition, both calcium ions in the dimer are bridged to calcium ions in adjacent dimers - each by a pair water oxygen molecules giving rise to two-dimensional molecular sheets. Coordination of the Ca ion in the dimer is completed either by two water oxygen atoms or by one water oxygen atom and an oxygen atom donated by a nitrate group. The molecular sheets are held together by an extended system of hydrogen bonds.     

The fragmentation of 1-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol under electron impact

The electron impact mass spectra of 1-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol and its specifically deuterated analogues have been investigated. Most of the decomposition pathways involve skeletal rearrangements or hydrogen atom transfers, such that a rearrangement of the excited molecular ions of 1-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol to molecular ions of cinnamic alcohol and/or cinnamaldehyde can be anticipated.     

Gas phase reactions of protonated 1,3-diphenylpropyne and some isomeric [C15H13]+ ions

Metastable (3-phenyl-2-propynyl)benzenium ions, generated by electron impact induced fragmentation from the appropriately substituted 1,4-dihydrobenzoic acid, react by loss of ˙CH₃ and C₆H₆. The study of deuterated derivatives reveals that hydrogen/deuterium exchanges involving all hydrogen and deuterium atoms precede the fragmentations. The results suggest a skeletal rearrangement by electrophilic ring-closure reactions giving rise to protonated phenylindene and protonated 9,10-methano-9,10-dihydroanthracene prior to the elimination of C₆H₆ and ˙CH₃, respectively. A study of isomeric [C₁₅H₁₃]⁺ ions by collision-induced decomposition and by deuterium labelling shows that these ions interconvert by hydrogen migrations and skeletal rearrangements.     

The formation of [CH5O]+ and ions from the molecular ions of isobutyl alcohol

On the basis of field ionization kinetic and deuterium labelling experiments, it is shown that the molecular ions of isobutyl alcohol generate [CH₅O]⁺ ions at 10^?11 s via a 1,4-shift of a hydrogen atom from one of the methyl groups to the oxygen atom, followed by a 1,2-elimination of protonated methanol with a hydrogen atom of the other methyl group. At times > 10^?11 s two distinct interchange processes between hydrogen atoms appear to compete with this reaction, as shown from field ionization kinetic experiments and metastable decompositions. Ion cyclotron resonance experiments on the long-lived [CH₅O]⁺ ions further demonstrate that they are protonated methanol ions. Arguments are put forward that the ions, generated by a specific 1,3-elimination of a molecule of water from metastable decomposing molecular ions, have an isobutene structure.     

The study and characterization of nucleosides by mass spectrometry—I: The mass spectra of pyrimidine 2,2′-anhydronucleosides and their derivatives

The mass spectra of 2,2′-anhydrouridine, 2,2′-anhydrothymidine and 2,2′-anhydro-4-thiouridine are reported. The acetyl, trifluoroacetyl, trityl, pivaloyl and trimethylsilyl ether derivatives were also studied. Deuterium labeling in acetyl and trimethylsilyl groups aided characterization of many ions in the spectra, as well as helping to clarify hydrogen migration processes. The anhydronucleosides and their derivatives are readily distinguished from natural nucleosides by the presence of an ion containing the base moiety plus the anhydro-ring plus one hydrogen atom from the rest of the molecule. As for natural nucleosides the [base + H]⁺ and [base + 2H]⁺ ions are usually prominent, but in contrast to natural nucleosides, ions characteristic of the sugar moiety do not retain the 2′-oxygen atom (i.e. the oxygen atom of the anhydro-ring). The mass spectra of deuterium labeled derivatives suggest a test for the presence of a 3′-O-acetyl function (the O-acetyl group is lost from the molecular ion much more readily from the 3′- than from the 5′-carbon atom). The trimethylsilyl derivatives showed evidence in their mass spectra for migration of trimethylsilyl groups in addition to hydrogen atoms.     

Mass spectra of some thionocarbamates

The mass spectra of a number O-alkylthionocarbamates with two, one or no alkyl substituents on the nitrogen atom are presented and discussed. The main primary fragmentation pathways are McLafferty rearrangements, including the double so-called protonated McLafferty rearrangement. Generally, rearrangement products give charge delocalized ions, which release hydroxyl or sulphydryl radicals and water or hydrogen sulphide, to produce stable fragments. It has been found that the position of alkyl moieties may be deduced on the basis of mass spectral fragmentation patterns.     

Chiral NMR discrimination of secondary amines using (18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid

[reaction: see text] Enantiomeric discrimination is observed in the (1)H NMR spectra of chiral secondary amines in the presence of (R)-(+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid. Secondary amines are protonated by one of the carboxylic acid groups of the crown ether to produce the corresponding ammonium and carboxylate ions. The secondary ammonium ion likely forms two hydrogen bonds to crown ether oxygen atoms and an ion pair with the carboxylate anion.     

The gas-phase amino–claisen rearrangement of protonated N-allylaniline

Metastable molecular protonated ions of N-allylaniline dissociate with significant losses of ethene and ammonia in the flight path of a mass spectrometer. The structures of the daughter ions formed on the loss of ethene have been elucidated using collision-induced dissociation and it is postulated that two isomeric structures are formed, one corresponding to molecular protonated ions which have undergone an amino–Claisen rearrangement. The relative proportion of this rearranged species is dependent on the exothermicity of the proton-transfer reaction between the sample molecule and the chemical ionization reagent gas ion. It is proposed that the two isomeric parent species differ in the site of protonation.     

Ethylenediamine as a liquid chemical reagent to probe hydrogen bonding and host-guest interactions with crown ethers in an ion trap tandem mass spectrometer

Ethylenediamine (EDA) was used as a novel liquid chemical reagent to probe hydrogen bonding and host-guest interactions with crown ether derivatives in an ion trap mass spectrometer (ITMS). Selective ion/molecule reaction product ions were generated by reactions of EDA with oxygenated and aza-crown ethers. For the oxygenated crown ethers, glycols and dimethylglycols, ion/molecule reactions led to the formation of the protonated molecules ([M+H](+)) and adduct ions including [M+30](+), [M+44](+) and [M+61](+). The aza-crown ethers produced [M+H](+), [M+13](+) and [M+27](+) ions. Collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) experiments were applied to probe the binding strength of these ion/molecule reaction products. CAD results indicated that all these hydrogen-bonding complexes are weakly bound except for the [M+44](+) ion of 18-crown-6, since all the complexes dissociate to the protonated polyether and/or protonated EDA. Fragmentation of the [M+H](+) ions under CAD conditions indicates the extensive covalent bond cleavage of the protonated crown ether skeleton.     

Skeletal rearrangements of protonated molecular ions of some ethers

Skeletal rearrangements are reported of protonated molecular ions in the chemical ionization mass spectra of allyl cyclohexyl ether, benzyl cyclohexyl ether, t-butyl cyclohexyl ether and dibenzyl ether.     

The Claisen rearrangement of protonated allyl phenyl ether

Molecular protonated ions of allyl phenyl ether undergo a Claisen rearrangement both in the ion source and along the flight path. The rearranged ions undergo fragmentation, the predominat loss being ethene, and only a small contribution from loss of carbon monoxide is observed. Collision-induced dissociation spectra are used to verify the structures of the daughter ions. These spectra, together with other evidence of an acid-induced ortho rearrangement, allow a mechanism to be proposed for the ethene loss. In contrast, molecular protonated ions of propargyl phenyl ether lose exclusively carbon monoxide.     

Chemical ionization of fluorophenyl n-propyl ethers: Loss of propene from the metastable [M + D]+ ions

Chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry with the reagents D₂O, CD₃OD, and CD₃CN (given in order of increasing proton affinity) has been used to generate metastable [M + D]⁺ ions of a series of mono-, di-, and trifluorophenyl n-propyl ethers and analogs labeled with two deuterium atoms at the β position of the alkyl group. Loss of propene is the main reaction of the [M + D]⁺ ions, whereas dissociation with formation of propyl carbenium ions is of minor importance. The combined results reveal that the deuteron added in the CI process can be incorporated in the propene molecules as well as in the propyl carbenium ions. The extent to which the added deuteron is exchanged with the hydrogen atoms of the propyl group is markedly dependent on the position of the fluorine atom(s) on the ring and the exothermicity of the initial deuteron transfer. For 3-fluorophenyl n-propyl ether, exchange is not observed if D₂O is the CI reagent, and occurs only to a minor extent in the experiments with the CI reagents CD₃OD and CD₃CN. Similar results are obtained for the 3,5-difluoro- and 2,4,6-trifluorophenyl ethers, whereas significant exchange is observed prior to the dissociations of the [M + D]⁺ ions of the 4-fluoro- and 2,6-difluorophenyl n-propyl ethers, irrespective of the nature of the CI reagent. These results are discussed in terms of the occurrence of initial deuteron transfer either to the oxygen atom or the aromatic ring followed by formation of an ion/neutral complex of a fluorine-substituted molecule and a secondary propyl carbenium ion. Initial deuteron transfer to the oxygen atom is suggested to yield complexes that can react by exchange between the added deuteron and the hydrogen atoms of the original propyl group prior to dissociation. By contrast, initial deuteron transfer to the ring is suggested to lead to complexes that react further by loss of propene molecules containing only the hydrogen/deuterium atoms of the original propyl entity.     

Bifunctional interaction and its effect on the esterification of dicarboxylic acids in chemical ionization mass spectrometry

The chemical ionization mass spectra of different dicarboxylic acids, including saturated and unsaturated aliphatic, aromatic, hydroxyl and amino-substituted dicarboxylic acids, have been studied using pure methanol as the reagent gas. Biomolecular monoesterification and diesterification product ions [M+15]⁺ and [M+29]⁺, and adduct ion [M+33]⁺, were observed, in addition to the protonated molecule [MH]⁺ and unimolecular water elimination product ions. The formation of a protonated molecule with bridged intramolecular hydrogen bond, and its effect on the esterification of dicarboxylic acids is discussed. Geometric isomers, such as maleic and fumaric acid, and ortho and meta isomers of phthalic acids can be distinguished from each other by methanol chemical ionization mass spectra. When ethanol was used as the reagent gas, similar mass spectra of some dicarboxylic acids were obtained.