Elimination of the concentration dependence in mass isotopomer abundance mass spectrometry of methyl palmitate using metastable atom bombardment

An important problem in mass isotopomer abundance mass spectrometry (MIAMS) is the dependence of measured mass isotopomer abundances on sample concentration. We have evaluated the role of ionization energy on mass isotopomer abundance ratios of methyl palmitate as a function of sample concentration. Ionization energy was varied using electron impact ionization (EI) and metastable atom bombardment (MAB). The latter generates a beam of metastable species capable of ionizing analyte molecules by Penning ionization. We observed that ionization of methyl palmitate by EI (70 eV) showed the greatest molecular ion fragmentation and also showed the greatest dependence of relative isotopomer abundance ratios on sample concentration. Ionization using the 3P2 and 3P0 states of metastable krypton (9.92 and 10.56 eV, respectively) resulted in almost no molecular ion fragmentation, and the isotopomer abundances quantified were essentially independent of sample concentration. Ionization using the 3P2 and 3P0 states of metastable argon (11.55 and 11.72 eV, respectively) showed molecular ion fragmentation intermediate between that of EI and MAB(Kr) and showed an isotopomer concentration dependence which was less severe than that observed with EI but more severe than that observed with MAB(Kr). The observed decrease in the dependence of isotopomer abundance on sample concentration with a decrease in molecular ion fragmentation is consistent with the hypothesis that proton transfer from a fragment cation to a neutral molecule is the gas phase reaction mechanism responsible for the concentration dependence. Alternative explanations, e.g., hydrogen abstraction from a neutral molecule to a molecular cation, is not supported by these results. Moreover, the MAB ionization technique shows potential for eliminating one source of error in MIAMS measurements of methyl palmitate, in particular, and of fatty acids methyl esters, in general.     

鬼臼及其羧酸酯类化合物2位立体异构体的EI MS质谱研究

鬼臼(podophyllotoxin)及其衍生物在抗癌方面表现出良好的活性。最近,Lopez-perez等人研究了合成的鬼臼羧酸酯类化合物的细胞活性,发现鬼臼的4位降冰片烯酯化合物在对P-388,A-549,HT-29和MEL-28有较母体鬼臼强3~5倍的活性[1],因此引起了人们对鬼臼酯类化合物抗癌活性与结构特点     

Electron ionization mass spectral fragmentation of C19 isoprenoid aldehydes and carboxylic acid methyl and trimethylsilyl esters

The electron ionization (EI) mass spectra of saturated and alpha,beta-unsaturated C(19) isoprenoid aldehydes and carboxylic acid methyl and trimethylsilyl esters are reported. Different pathways are proposed in order to explain the main fragmentations observed. The conjugated double bond migrates more or less readily before gamma-hydrogen rearrangement according to the structure of the considered compound. Configurations of the double bond of alpha,beta-unsaturated C(19) isoprenoid aldehydes and fatty acid methyl and trimethylsilyl esters can be easily determined thanks to the peaks at m/z 97, 127 and 185, respectively, which are much more abundant in the mass spectra of the Z isomers owing to the formation of a cyclic ion. In the case of trimethylsilyl esters, subsequent fragmentation of the cyclic ion at m/z 185 affords two other diagnostic ions at m/z 95 and 169.     

Mass spectrometric study of persistent acid metabolites of nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants

A mass spectrometric study was carried out on two nonylphenoxycarboxylic acids, NP1EC and NP2EC (where 1 and 2 indicate the number of ethoxylate units attached to the nonylphenoxy moiety), that are persistent metabolites of widely used nonionic surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylates. In a gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) study of the methyl esters of NP1EC and NP2EC, two series of fragment ions were observed in electron ionization (EI) mass spectra; m/z (179 + 14n, n = 0-7) and m/z (105 + 14n, n = 0-4) for NP1ECMe and m/z (223 + 14n, n = 0-7) and m/z (107 + 14n, n = 0-5) for NP2ECMe. Similarity indices were used to compare quantitatively the mass spectra of isomers. The mass spectra of two isomers were found to be similar whereas those of the remaining isomers were readily distinguishable from each other. The abundant fragment ions of the two NPECMes were investigated further by GC/MS/MS; product ions resulting from cleavage in the alkyl moiety, cleavage in the ECMe moiety and cleavage in both moieties were detected. Possible structures of the nonyl groups in the two esters were inferred. GC/chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra of the NPECMes with isobutane as reagent gas showed characteristic hydride ion-abstracted fragment ions shifted by 1 Da from those in the corresponding EI mass spectra. The sensitivity of a selected ion monitoring quantitation method for the NPECMes is enhanced under CI conditions compared with that under EI conditions. With electrospray ionization MS/MS, [M - H](-) ions of NP1EC (m/z 277) and NP2EC (m/z 321) were observed and, upon collision-induced dissociation of [M - H](-) of each of the two acids, fragment ions of m/z 219 corresponding to deprotonated nonylphenol, were observed in each case. Based on this observation, a rapid, simple and reliable selected product ion quantitation method is proposed for NP1EC and NP2EC.     

Deuterium exchange studies in the identification of alkylated DNA bases found in urine, by tandem mass spectrometry

Humans are exposed to a large number of carcinogens which may react at various sites throughout the body, including the N-7-, N2-, and O6-positions of guanine. The effects of this are various but may result in depurination and eventual excretion of the modified base in the urine. Various alkylguanine derivatives with substituents at the N-7-, N2- and O6-positions were synthesized and daughter-ion spectra obtained. Apart from the methyl and dialkylguanines all other spectra exhibited an ion at m/z 151 using electron ionization (EI) and m/z 152 using fast-atom bombardment (FAB). The daughter-ion spectra of dialkylguanines contained an ion at m/z 150 (EI). Hence, scans of m/z 150 and 151 using EI, to detect all parent-ions from which they are formed (parent-ion scans) should indicate the presence of alkyl and dialkylguanine bases in a complex biological matrix such as human urine. Parent-ion scans of m/z 150 and 151 (EI) of a partially purified human urine sample exhibited numerous ions, including a prominent ion at m/z 179. A daughter-ion spectrum of m/z 179 revealed fragment ions that suggested the presence of N2-dimethylguanine and an ethylated guanine. Any confusion due to the presence of daughter ions from different alkylguanines in the same spectrum can be resolved by the fact that an ethylated guanine has four exchangeable protons, whereas N2-dimethylguanine has only three. By performing hydrogen/deuterium exchange it is possible to distinguish the N2-dimethylguanine from ethylated guanine isomers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Electron ionization mass spectral fragmentation of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol and cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha/beta-triol bis- and tris-trimethylsilyl derivatives

The electron ionization (EI) mass spectral fragmentation of the bis- and tris-trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol, cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol and cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha-triol was investigated. The EI mass spectrum of the 3beta,4alpha-bis-trimethylsilyl derivative of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol exhibits interesting fragment ions at m/z 142 and 332 resulting from the initial loss of TMSOH between the carbons 2 and 3 and subsequent retro-Diels-Alder (RDA) cleavage of the ring A. Trimethylsilyl transfer between the 4alpha- and the 5alpha-hydroxy groups acts significantly before RDA cleavage affording an ion at m/z 404. Complete silylation of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol strongly stabilizes the molecule, affording an abundant molecular ion at m/z 636 and decreasing the abundance of the RDA cleavage. Loss of water (from the non-silylated 5alpha-hydroxy group) plays a very important role during the decomposition of the molecular ion of 3beta,6alpha/beta-bis-trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha/beta-triols. These derivatives appear to be very useful in assigning the configuration of the carbon 6. This assignment is based on the abundance of the fragment ions at m/z 321, 367 and 403, which are more prominent in the EI mass spectrum of the beta-isomer. In contrast, EI mass spectra of the tris-trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol and cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha-triol differ only slightly and appear to be poorly informative.     

Characterization of 4-Aryl-5-ethoxycarbonyl-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro- pyrimidin-2 （1H）-thiones by EI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

IntroductionIn1893,Pietro Biginelli reported the first synthe-sis(termed the Biginelli reaction)of3,4-dihydropyrim-idinone(denoted as“oxo-orO-Biginelli compound”in-cluding its derivatives,type A in Scheme1).In thelast decade,interest in these compounds …     

树兰花挥发性成分的提取及鉴定

采用超临界CO2流体从树兰花中提取挥发油,得油率为2.64%。利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)对树兰花油中的化学成分进行分离和鉴定,共分离出54种组分,确认了其中的48种成分,其中有18种萜烯类化合物和12种酯类物质等成分,如α-蛇麻烯、亚麻酸乙酯、大根香叶烯-D、β-榄香烯、古巴烯、石竹烯、茉莉酮酸甲酯、β-蛇麻烯-7-醇和棕榈酸乙酯等。     

Characterization of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for N-diisopropyloxyphosphoryl dipeptide methyl esters

A systematic study of the fragmentation pattern of N-diisopropyloxyphosphoryl (DIPP) dipeptide methyl esters in an electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was presented. A combination of accurate mass measurement and tandem mass spectrometry had been used to characterize the major fragment ions observed in the ESI mass spectrum. It was found that the alkali metal ions acted as a fixed charge site and expelled the DIPP group after transferring a proton to the amide nitrogen. For all the N-phosphoryl dipeptide methyl esters, under the activation of a metal ion, the rearrangement product ion at m/z 163 was observed and confirmed to be the sodium adduct of phosphoric acid mono-isopropyl esters (PAIE), via a specific five-membered penta-co-ordinated phosphorus intermediate. However, no rearrangement ion was observed when a beta-amino acid was at the N-terminal. This could be used to develop a novel method for differentiating isomeric compounds when either alpha- or beta-amino acid are at the N-terminus of peptides. From the [M+Na]+ ESI-MS/MS spectra of N-phosphoryl dipeptide methyl esters (DIPP Xaa1 Xaa2 OMe), the peaks corresponding to the [M+Na Xaa1 C3H6]+ were observed and explained. The [M+Na]+ ESI-MS/MS spectra of N-phosphoryl dipeptide methyl esters with Phe located in the C-terminal, such as DIPPValPheOMe, DIPPLeuPheOMe, DIPPIlePheOMe, DIPPAlaPheOMe and DIPPPhePheOMe, had characteristic fragmentation. Two unusual gas-phase intramolecular rearrangement mechanisms were first proposed for this fragmentation. These rearrangements were not observed in dipeptide methyl ester analogs which did not contain the DIPP at the N-terminal, suggesting that this moiety was critical for the rearrangement.     

Determination of elemental compositions by gas chromatography/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry using chemical and electron ionization

Many metabolomic applications use gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) under standard 70 eV electron ionization (EI) parameters. However, the abundance of molecular ions is often extremely low, impeding the calculation of elemental compositions for the identification of unknown compounds. On changing the beam‐steering voltage of the ion source, the relative abundances of molecular ions at 70 eV EI were increased up to ten‐fold for alkanes, fatty acid methyl esters and trimethylsilylated metabolites, concomitant with 2‐fold absolute increases in ion intensities. We have compared the abundance, mass accuracy and isotope ratio accuracy of molecular species in EI with those in chemical ionization (CI) with methane as reagent gas under high‐mass tuning. Thirty‐three peaks of a diverse set of trimethylsilylated metabolites were analyzed in triplicate, resulting in 342 ion species ([M+H]⁺, [M–CH₃]⁺ for CI and [M]^{+ .} , [M–CH₃]^{+ .} for EI). On average, CI yielded 8‐fold more intense molecular species than EI. Using internal recalibration, average mass errors of 1.8 ± 1.6 mm/z units and isotope ratio errors of 2.3 ± 2.0% (A+1/A ratio) and 1.7 ± 1.8% (A+2/A ratio) were obtained. When constraining lists of calculated elemental compositions by chemical and heuristic rules using the Seven Golden Rules algorithm and PubChem queries, the correct formula was retrieved as top hit in 60% of the cases and within the top‐3 hits in 80% of the cases. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gas-phase reactions for selective detection of the explosives TNT and RDX

Highly selective gas-phase reactions with ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) of major electron (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) fragment ions of the explosives TNT and RDX have been uncovered. The fragment ion of m/z 210 from TNT undergoes [4(+)+ 2] cycloaddition with EVE to form an oxo-iminium ion of m/z 282, which dissociates by acetaldehyde loss after a [1,5-H] shift to form a quinolynium ion of m/z 238. The fragment ion of m/z 149 from RDX reacts with EVE by a formal vinylation reaction, that is, the elusive cyclic adduct loses ethanol to yield a nitro-iminium ion of m/z 175, which reacts further with EVE to form a second cyclic product ion of m/z 247. Calculations and MS/MS experiments support the proposed structures. These highly characteristic reactions of diagnostic EI and CI fragment ions improve selectivity for TNT and RDX detection.     

Ion-molecule reactions of dimethyl ether cations with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer

The reaction chemistry between dimethyl ether (DME) cations and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was elucidated by isolating three different types of DME ions using a quadrupole ion trap and reacting them individually with neutral PAH molecules eluting from a gas chromatographic column. The results obtained show that the CH(2)OCH(3)(+) ion (m/z 45) reacts via adduct formation followed by elimination of CH(3)OH, the (CH(3))(2)OH(+) (m/z 47) ion serves as proton donor and the (CH(3))(3)O(+) ion (m/z 61) does not yield any reaction products. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mass spectra of 1,2-alkylenedioxy-substituted and related benzofurazans and benzofuroxans: differentiation between linear and angular isomers.

The electron ionization (EI) mass spectra of [1,3]-dioxolo-, 6, 7-dihydro-[1,4]-dioxino-, 7,8-dihydro-6H-[1,4]dioxepino-, 6,7,8, 9-tetrahydro[1,4]dioxocino-, 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6H-[1,4]dioxonino- and 6,7,8,9,10,11-hexahydro[1,4]dioxecino[2,3-f]-2,1, 3-benzoxadiazoles (benzofurazans) and the corresponding 1-oxides (benzofuroxans), all linear isomers, are reported. Also reported are the EI mass spectra of the corresponding angular isomers, [1, 3]dioxolo-, 7,8-dihydro[1,4]dioxino-, 8,9-dihydro-7H-[1,4]dioxepino-, 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro[1,4]dioxocino-, 8,9,10,11-tetrahydro-7H-[1, 4]dioxonino-, 7,8,9,10,11,12-hexahydro[1,4]dioxecino[2,3-e]-2,1, 3-benzoxadiazoles and the corresponding 1-oxides. The relative abundance of the fragment ion of m/z 80 is characteristically enhanced in the spectra of the angular derivatives compared to the spectra of the linear counterparts. Collisionally activated decomposition studies show that it is structurally identical whether derived from the benzofurazans or the benzofuroxans. The relative abundance of the m/z 80 ion serves to distinguish between linear and angular isomeric pairs. In addition, the fragment ion at m/z 80 also serves to differentiate between the pairs of isomers, analogous to linear and angular, of six acyclic methoxy- and methoxymethyl-substituted benzofurazans and their corresponding benzofuroxans.     

Mechanism of the formation of a dehydrated ion by an unusual loss of oxygen at the 4'-carbonyl group of abscisic acid methyl ester in electron ionization mass spectrometry

Methyl ester of abscisic acid (ABA), a plant hormone, gives a dehydrated ion at m/z 260 in electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS). This dehydrated ion had been considered to be derived only from the elimination of the tertiary hydroxyl group at C-1'. We found that 34% of the dehydrated ion was formed by elimination of the oxygen atom at the 4'-carbonyl group, and the remaining 66% by elimination of the 1'-hydroxyl group. This unusual elimination of the carbonyl oxygen was shown with [4'-(18)O]ABA methyl ester. Involvement of the 4'-carbonyl oxygen in dehydration was observed in methyl ester of phaseic acid (PA), a natural metabolite of ABA, but not in 1'-deoxy-ABA methyl ester or isophorone. This suggested that the 1'-hydroxyl group was necessary for the elimination of the 4'-carbonyl oxygen. ABA methyl esters labeled with stable isotopes showed that hydrogen atoms at the 1'-hydroxyl group and at C-4 or -5 or -3' or - 5' or -7' were eliminated with the 4'-carbonyl oxygen. These results allow us to propose a formation mechanism of the dehydrated ion derived from the elimination of 4'-carbonyl oxygen and hydrogen atoms at C-4 and 1'-oxygen in ABA methyl ester as follows: first, ionization at the 1'-hydroxyl group occurs to give an ion radical, and the proton at the 1'-oxygen migrates to the 4'-carbonyl oxygen after the bond fission between C-1'-C-6'; second, migration of the proton at C-4 to the 1'-oxygen is followed by migration of the protons at C-5 and C-7' to C-4 and C-5, respectively; finally, the proton at the 1'-oxygen migrates to the 4'-hydroxyl group, and H(2)O at C-4' is eliminated to give the dehydrated ion. Our findings point out that a dehydrated ion is not always derived from the elimination of a hydroxyl group.     

Collision-induced dissociation mass spectra of positive ions derived from tetrahydropyranyl (THP) ethers of primary alcohols

Peaks for [M + H](+) are not observed when electrospray ionization mass spectra of tetrahydropyranyl (THP) ethers are recorded under acidic conditions. However, gaseous [M + H](+) ions can be generated from ammonium adducts of THP ethers of primary alcohols by in-source fragmentation. The product ion spectra of these proton adducts show two significant peaks at m/z 85 and 103. Tandem mass spectrometric data obtained from appropriately deuteriated derivatives and ab initio calculations indicate that the m/z 85 ion originates from more than one mechanism and represents two structurally different species. A charge-directed E1-elimination mechanism or an inductive cleavage mechanism can produce the 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrylium ion as one of the structures for the m/z 85 ion, whereas a charge-remote process with ring contraction can generate the 5-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-furylium ion as the other structure. A comparison of the relative abundances of product ions from different isotopologues showed that the charge-remote process is the preferred mechanism. This is congruent with the ab initio calculations, which showed that the dihydrofurylium ion bears the lowest energy structure. The less abundant m/z 103 ion, which represents a protonated tetrahydropyran-2-ol, is formed by a charge-remote process via a proton transfer from the alkyl substituent. This process involves the formation and rearrangement of a carbenium ion in close association with a hydroxypentanal molecule. A proton transfer from the carbenium ion to the aldehyde is followed by elimination of an alkene.     

Metastable ion study of organosilicon compounds. Part XIV-trimethylsilylacetic acid, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOH, and its methyl ester, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOCH(3)

The unimolecular metastable decompositions of trimethylsilylacetic acid, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOH (1), and its methyl ester, (CH(3))(3)SiCH(2)COOCH(3) (2), were investigated by mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry in conjunction with thermochemical data. The abundance of the molecular ions of both compounds, generated by electron ionization, is extremely low. However, the abundance of the ions generated by the loss of (.)CH(3) and observed at m/z 117 and 131 is moderate. These fragment ions further decompose to form the most abundant m/z 75 and 89 ions, respectively, by the loss of CH(2)CO through a (CH(3))(2)Si group migration. The loss of CH(2)CO is also observed to occur from 2(+.) and its fragment ion at m/z 115 generated by the loss of (.)OCH(3). The former reaction is proposed to occur via an ion-radical complex.     

Practical considerations in the gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio monitoring mass spectrometry of 13C-enriched compounds: detection limits and carryover effects

This paper describes a methodological investigation of the use of gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio monitoring mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) for the compound-specific stable isotope analysis of 13C-enriched compounds. Analysis of two 13C-enriched fatty acid methyl esters, possessing delta13C values of approximately 500 per thousand, at a range of concentrations, demonstrated that detectable responses, i.e. chromatographic peaks, could be observed in the 45/44 output even when the compound was present in such low abundance that no peak was observed in the m/z 44 ion chromatogram. A limit of detection, defined as the point at which the signal-to-background ratio was equal to 3, was calculated for two compounds and for both ion chromatograms. The limit of detection in the 45/44 chromatogram was found to be ca. 30 pg injected for methyl 13C-hexadecanoate and ca. 20 pg injected for methyl 13C-octadecanoate, whilst, in the m/z 44 ion chromatogram, detection limits were approximately 180 and approximately 200 pg, respectively. The delta13C value recorded for the analytes was found to be both inaccurate and imprecise below 5 ng of each component injected, although this would not represent a significant drawback in qualitative tracer-type experiments. In a further study of co-injected mixtures of labelled (approximately 500 per thousand) and unlabelled (natural abundance, -20 to -30 per thousand ) fatty acid methyl esters a significant within-run carryover effect was observed, where the isotope values recorded for compounds eluting immediately after enriched components were significantly affected. Whilst this would not affect qualitative results, quantitative data for mixtures containing enriched compounds should be considered with caution. The standards employed in this investigation were enriched to approximately 500 per thousand in 13C; however, these effects would probably be accentuated at higher levels of labelling and with other elements. The limit of detection work demonstrated the potential of GC/C/IRMS as a highly sensitive and selective detector with many possible applications.     

Unimolecular metastable decompositions of gem-dimethoxyalkanes (RR'C(OCH(3))(2)) upon electron impact. I. Dimethoxymethane and 1, 1-dimethoxyethane

The unimolecular metastable decompositions of dimethoxymethane (CH(2)(OCH(3))(2), 1) and 1,1-dimethoxyethane (CH(3)CH(OCH(3))(2), 2) upon electron impact have been investigated by means of mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry, collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectrometry and D-labeling techniques. Both molecular ions are formed at extremely low abundance. Sequential transfers of a methyl group and a hydrogen atom to an ether oxygen are observed during the decomposition of [M - H](+) ions from 1 and 2. The [M - H](+) ion from 2 also decomposes into the m/z 43 ion by the loss of dimethyl ether. Almost complete hydrogen exchange is observed prior to the loss of CH(4) from the m/z 45 ion ([M - OCH(3)](+)) of 1. The m/z 59 ions ([M - OCH(3)](+)) of 2 decompose competitively into the m/z 31 and 29 ions by the losses of C(2)H(4) and CH(2)O, respectively. The former loss occurs via two different fragmentation pathways. The relative abundances of the ions in the MIKE spectra increase with decreases in the total heat of formation (Sigma DeltaH(f)) of the ion plus the neutral fragment. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of anthraquinone-2-carbonyl chloride as an alcohol derivatization reagent for negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Anthraquinone-2-carbonyl chloride has been utilized as a derivatization reagent for alcohols to impart electron affinity and aid in transport via a particle beam liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interface. In addition, the gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry, UV, fluorescence, and electrochemical characteristics of the derivatives were determined. A series of model compounds, 2-phenylethanol (phenethyl alcohol), 1-phenyl-2-propanol, 2-methyl-l-phenyl-2-propanol, hexanol, and methyl 2-methylglycerate, were used as analytes. The particle beam LC/MS properties of the resultant anthraquinone carboxylate esters were determined in electron impact (EI) and negative ion chemical ionization (NCI) modes. The NCI responses of these anthraquinone carboxylate esters were compared with the corresponding 3,5-dinitrobenzoate esters. The anthraquinone carboxylate esters exhibited an NCI to EI sensitivity enhancement of 113 and were detected in NCI at a tenfold lower concentration than the corresponding 3,5-dinitrobenzoate esters. A detection limit of 26 pg injected on column was achieved for phenethyl anthraquinone carboxylate in NCI by using selected ion monitoring.     

On the formation of conjugated linoleic acid diagnostic ions with acetonitrile chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Acetonitrile chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry has recently been shown to be a rapid method for the identification of double-bond position and geometry in methyl esters of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs); however, the structures of intermediate and diagnostic ions and their mechanisms of formation are not known. A mechanism is proposed here in which the m/z 54 ion, (1-methyleneimino)-1-ethenylium (MIE), undergoes nucleophilic attack preferentially by the cis double bond in CLAs with mixed geometry (cis/trans, trans/cis), favoring the observed C--C cleavage vinylic to the trans double bond. The [M+54](+) addition product intermediate is consistent with a heterocyclic six-membered ring resulting from the two-step addition of MIE to the CLA. Experiments with isotopically labeled CLAs and acetonitrile, and from MS/MS/MS experiments, yield data consistent with this proposal. The proposed mechanism is also consistent with known ion-molecule chemistry in smaller compounds, and explains most phenomena associated with MIE-CLA ion chemistry.