Electron impact mass spectrometry of [C7H8N]+ and [C6H7]+ and [C6H7]+ fragment ions produced from o-toluidine and N-methylaniline

An energetic study of the production of [C₇H₈N]⁺ and [C₆H₇]⁺ fragment ions from o-toluidine and N-methylaniline is reported. The mechanisms for the formation of the ions are suggested. Metastable peaks associated with the formation and fragmentation of reactive [C₇H₈N]⁺ and [C₆H₇]⁺ ions were detected and kinetic energy released were determined. The results indicate that the [C₇H₈N]⁺ ion is formed at threshold from o-toluidine with an aminotropylium structure whereas for N-methylaniline the ion is formed with anN-phenylmethaniminium structure. [C₆H₇]⁺ ions are believed to be formed at threshold from the two precursors with a protonated benzene structure.     

Energetics of the loss of H2 from [C3H7]+

The internal energies of [C₃H₇]⁺ ions contributing to the metastable peak [C₃H₇]⁺ → [C₃H₅]⁺ + H₂ are higher (by perhaps > 100 kJ mol^?1) than those of the ion contributing to the threshold current in appearance energy measurements on [C₃H₅]⁺. The measured appearance energy may lead to an underestimation of the activation energy, i.e. negative ‘kinetic shift’, due to quantum, mechanical tunnelling. The distribution of energy released in the decomposition can be explained on the basis that much of the reverse activation energy and a statistical proportion of the excess energy is released as translation.     

Isomerisation of hydrocarbon ions III–[C8H8]+·, [C8H8]2+, [C6H6]+· AND [C6H5]+ IONS

Collisional activation spectra of [C₈H₈]⁺·, [C₈H₈]²⁺, [C₆H₆]⁺· and [C₆H₅]⁺ ions from fifteen different sources are reported. Decomposing [C₈H₈]⁺· ions of ten of these precursors isomerise to a mixture of mainly the cyclooctatetraene and, to a smaller extent, the styrene structure. Three additional structures are observed with [C₈H₈]⁺· ions from the remaining precursors. [C₈H₈]^2+., [C₈H₈]⁺·, [C₆H₆]⁺· and [C₆H₅]⁺· ions mostly decompose from common structures although some exceptions are reported.     

Photoionization of the C-1?C-4 monosubstituted alkyl benzenes: Thermochemistry of [C7H7]+ and [C8H9]+ formation

The appearance energies for the [C₇H₇]⁺ and [C₈H₉]⁺ fragment ions produced in the fragmentation of the C-1? C-4 monosubstituted alkyl benzenes have been measured by photon impact. The mean heat of formation calculated for [C₇H₇]⁺ is 205.3 ± 1.9 kcal mol^?1 which is consistent with a threshold tropylium structure. For [C₈H₉]⁺ the mean heat of formation is calculated to be 199.2 ± 1.3 kcal mol^?1 which can be equated with either a methyl tropylium or α-phenylethyl structure at threshold. Some evidence is provided for the existence of the α-phenylethyl ion.     

A mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry investigation of the nature of [C10H10]+˙, [C9H7]+ and [C10H8]+˙ gas phase ions

Additional evidence for the rearrangement of the 1- and 3-phenylcyclobutene radical cations, their corresponding ring-opened 1,3-butadiene ions and 1,2-dihydronaphthalene radical cations to methylindenetype ions has been obtained for the decomposing ions by mass analysed ion kinetic energy spectroscopy (MIKES). The nature of the [C₉H₇]⁺ and [C₁₀H₈]^+˙ daughter ions arising from the electron ionization induced fragmentation of these [C₁₀H₁₀]^+˙ precursors has been investigated by collisionally activated dissociation (CAD), collisional ionization and ion kinetic energy spectroscopy. The [C₉H₇]⁺ produced from the various C₁₀H₁₀ hydrocarbons are of identical structure or an identical mixture of interconverting structures. These ions are similar in nature to the [C₉H₇]⁺ generated from indene by low energy electron ionization. The [C₁₀H₈]^+˙ ions also possess a common structure, which is presumably that of the maphthalene radical cation.     

Ion structural studies by ion kinetic energy spectrometry: [C7H7]+, [C7H8]+˙, [C7H7OCH3]+˙

The use of kinetic energy release measurements in the structural characterization of ions formed in the mass spectrometer and in the determination of fragmentation mechanisms is demonstrated. In combination with information on the mode of energy partitioning in some of these reactions this allows the following conclusions: (i) The metastable [C₇H₈]⁸˙ ions formed from toluene, cyclohepatatriene, n-butylbenzene, the three methyl anisoles, methyl tropyl ether and benzyl methyl ether all undergo loss of H˙ from a common structure. (ii) The metastable [C₇H₇]⁺ ions generated from the same sources and from benzyl bromide, benzyl alcohol, p-xylene and ethylbenzene appear to undergo loss of acetylene from both the benzylic and the tropylium structures. (iii) The metastable [C₇H₇OCH₃]⁺˙ ether molecular ions undergo loss of CH₃˙ by two types of mechanism, simple cleavage to give the aryloxy cation (not observed for benzyl methyl ether) and a rearrangement process which appears to lead to protonated tropone as the product. (iv) Loss of formaldehyde from the metastable [C₇H₇OCH₃]⁺˙ molecular ions involves hydrogen transfer via competitive 4- and 5-membered cyclic transition states in the case of the anisoles and in the case of methyl tropyl ether, while for benzyl methyl ether, hydrogen transfer in the nonisomerized molecular ion occurs via a 4-membered cyclic transition state to yield the cycloheptatriene molecular ion.     

A reinvestigation of the collisional activation mass spectra of [C7H7]+ ion mixtures

The collisional activation (CA) mass spectra of the two isomeric [C₇H₇]⁺ ions, benzyl and tropyl, have been reassessed. The structure-characteristic feature of their CA mass spectra, the m/z 77:74 abundance ratio, has been confirmed as 3.15 ± 0.2 for benzyl cations and lowered to 035 ± 03 for tropyl ions. Benzyl–tropyl cation mixture analyses were made and were in general agreement with earlier CA results, but still disagree with the results of ion cyclotron resonance experiments. The behavior of toluene molecular ions close to their dissociation threshold to [C₇H₇]⁺ + H˙ was examined; for metastable [C₇H₈]⁺˙ ions an approximately 55:45 benzyl:tropyl ratio was found. Observations are discussed in relation to photoionization and photoelecrron-photoionization coincidence studies, both of which predict high tropyl ion contents at low energies. However, at the lowest energies attainable in this study the benzyl content failed to fall below 50% and it is concluded that toluene molecular ions do not generate tropyl cations at their dissociation limit.     

A Photoionization study of some benzoyl compounds—Thermochemistry of [C7H5O]+ formation

Appearance energies for [C₇H₅O]⁺ fragment ions, formed from a variety of benzoyl compounds, have been measured by photon impact. The mean heat of formation calculated for [C₇H₅O]⁺ is 705 ± 6 kJ mol^?1, which can be correlated with either a single threshold structure or a mixture of structures with similar heats of formation. Previously observed variations of ΔH_f([C₇H₅O]⁺) with precursor molecule are shown to be consistent with a structure dependent kinetic shift, rather than the presence of isolated electronic states.     

Structures of decomposing and non-decomposing gas-phase [C4H6O]+· radical cations,and their [C2H2O]+· and [C3H6]+· product ions

The structures of gas-phase [C₄H₆O]^+· radical cations and their daughter ions of composition [C₂H₂O]^+· and [C₃H₆]^+· were investigated by using collisionally activated dissociation, metastable ion measurement, kinetic energy release and collisional ionization tandem mass spectrometric techniques. Electron ionization (70 eV) of ethoxyacetylene, methyl vinyl ketone, crotonaldehyde and 1-methoxyallene yields stable [C₄H₆O]^+· ions, whereas the cyclic C₄H₆O compounds undergo ring opening to stable distonic ions. The structures of [C₂H₃O]^+· ions produced by 70-eV ionization of several C₄H₆O compounds are identical with that of the ketene radical cation. The [C₃H₆]^+· ions generated from crotonaldehyde, methacrylaldehyde, and cyclopropanecarboxaldehyde have structures similar to that of the propene radical cations, whereas those ions generated from the remainder of the [C₄H₆O]^+· ions studied here produced a mixed population of cyclopropane and propene radical cations.     

Rearrangements and fragmentations of metastable [C13H9S]+, [C14H11]+, [C13H11]+ and [C8H7S]+ ions

[C₁₃H₉S]⁺, [C₁₄H₁₁]⁺, [C₁₃H₁₁]⁺ and [C₈H₇S]⁺ ions with unknown structures were generated from two [C₁₄H₁₂S]^+·precursor ions by fragmentation reactions that must be preceded by extensive rearrangements. Ions with the same compositions, each with several initial structures, were prepared by simple bond-breaking reactions. Metastable characteristics were compared for each of the four types of ions. It was found than in all cases fast isomerization reactions occur prior to fragmentation, so that no information about the unknown ion structures could be obtained by comparison of the observed fragmentations of metastable ions.     

The heats of formation of some protonated olefinic carbonyl compounds: [C5H9O]+ and [C4H7O2]+ ions

The proton transfer equilibrium reactions involving 3-penten-2-one, 3-methyl-3-buten-2-one, crotonic acid and methacrylic acid were carried out in an ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectrometer. The semiempirical method MNDO, used to estimate the heats of formation for 14 protonated [C₅H₉O]⁺ and [C₄H₇O₂]⁺ ions and the energetic aspect of the fragmentations of metastable [C₆H₁₂O]^+. and [C₆H₁₂O₂]^+. ions, leads to the conclusion that the ions corresponding to protonation at the carbonyl oxygen are the most stable. Thus the experimentally determined heats of formation of protonated olefinic carbonyl compounds can be attributed to the following structures: [CH₃COHCHCHCH₃]⁺ (δH_f = 490 KJ mol^?1), [CH₃COHC(CH₃)CH₂]⁺ (δH_f = 502 KJ mol^?1), [HOCOHCHCHCH₃]⁺ (δH_f = 330 KJ mol^?1) and [HOCOHC(CH₃)CH₂]⁺ (δH_f = 336 KJ mol^?1).     

Structure and fragmentations of [C3H7S]+ ions

The principal fragmentation reactions of metastable [C₃H₇S]⁺ ions are loss of H₂S and C₂H₄. These reactions and the preceding isomerizations of [C₃H₇S]⁺ ions with six different initial structures were studied by means of labelling with ¹³C or D. From the results it is concluded that the loss of H₂S and C₂H₄ both occur at least mainly from ions with the structure [CH₃CH₂CH? SH]⁺ or from ions with the same carbon sulfur skeleton, with the exception of the ions with the initial structure [CH₃CH₂S? CH₂]⁺, which partly lose C₂H₄ without a preceding isomerization. For all ions, more than one reaction route leads to [CH₃CH₂CH?SH]⁺. It is concluded that the loss of H₂S is at least mainly a 1,3-elimination from the [CH₃CH₂CH?SH]⁺ ions. Both decomposition reactions are preceded by extensive but incomplete hydrogen exchange.     

Structure of gas phase [C5H6]+˙ ions

Charge-stripping spectra have been used to differentiate ionized cyclopentadiene from its acyclic isomers. The minimum amounts of translational energy lost during the charge-stripping processes and the relative charge-stripping efficiencies, which are also structurally important parameters, have been measured for these ionic species. [C₅H₆]⁺˙ ions, formed by dissociative ionization of various precursors in the ion source are found, usually, to be a mixture of cyclic and acyclic ions. In contrast, [C₅H₆]⁺˙ ions, derived from the dissociation of metastable molecular ions from a series of organic compounds, have the cyclopentadienyl structure. This structure was confirmed by collision-induced dissociation of ions formed in the first field-free region of a triple sector mass spectrometer.     

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.     

A photoionization study of [C4H7]+ ions in the gas phase

The ionization and [C₄H₇]⁺ appearance energies for a series of C₄H₇CI and C₄H₇Br isomers have been measured by dissociative photoionization mass spectrometry. Cationic heats of formation, based on the stationary electron convention, are derived. No threshold ion is observed with a heat of formation corresponding to the trans-1-methylallyl cation, although there is evidence for formation of the less stable cis isomer. A 298 K heat of formation of 871 kJ mol^?1 is obtained for the cyclopropylcarbinyl cation, with the cyclobutyl cation having a higher value of 886 kJ mol^?1. At the HF/6-31G^** level, ab initio molecular orbital calculations show the 2-butenyl, isobutenyl and homoallyl cations to be stable forms of [C₄H₇]⁺, being less stable than the trans-1-methylallyl cation by 101 kJ mol^?1, 159 kJ mol^?1 and 164 kJ mol^?1, respectively. However, threshold formation is not observed for any of these ions, the fragmentation of appropriate precursor molecules producing [C₄H₇]⁺ ions with lower energy structures.     

An investigation of the decomposition of the intermediate ions produced by electron-impact. II—[C7H7]+ ions from several halogenotoluenes

The structure and decomposition of the [C₇H₇]⁺ ions produced by electron-impact from o-, m- and p-chlorotoluene, o-, m- and p-bromotoluence, and p-iodotoluence, have been investigated. By determining the relative abundance of normal and metastable ions, these [C₇H₇]⁺ ions at electron energy of 20 eV are shown to be so-called ‘tropylium ions’. The amount of the internal energy of the [C₇H₇]⁺ ion estimated by the relative ion abundance ratios, ? [C₅H₅]⁺/[C₇H₇]⁺ and m*/[C₇H₇]⁺ for the decomposition \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ [{\rm C}_{\rm 7} {\rm H}_{\rm 7}]^ + \mathop \to \limits^{m^* } [{\rm C}_{\rm 5} {\rm H}_{\rm 5}]^ + + {\rm C}_{\rm 2} {\rm H}_{\rm 2} $\end{document}, is in the order iodotoluene > bromotoluene > chlorotoluene. The heats of formation of the activated complexes for the reaction \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ [{\rm C}_{\rm 7} {\rm H}_{\rm 7}]^ + \mathop \to \limits^{m^* } [{\rm C}_{\rm 5} {\rm H}_{\rm 5}]^ + + {\rm C}_{\rm 2} {\rm H}_{\rm 2} $\end{document} were estimated. The values suggest that the decomposing [C₇H₇]⁺ ions from various halogenotoluenes are identical in structure.     

Molecular states formed by ion beam neutralization of [C2H2]+ and [C2H3]+ on metal targets

A combination of charge-stripping and beam-scattering techniques has been used to study the molecular states formed when a fast beam of [C₂H₂]⁺ and [C₂H₃]⁺ in several isotopic forms are neutralized by electron transfer from metal target atoms (K, Na, Mg and Zn). For [C₂H₃]⁺ the isotopic compositions and relative abundances of product states were found to be insensitive to the method of ion preparation (electron impact and chemical ionization). Ground state neutrals are formed in partial abundance when Mg or Zn is used as a target atom. With low ionization potential targets (K and Na) excitel dissociative states of C₂H₂ and C₂H₃ are formed as major beam constituents. For these states decomposition products have been identified and fragmentation energies measured. The excited states of C₂H₂ and C₂H₃ lie alout 6.8 eV and 2.9 eV, respectively, above their stable ground states. The discussion focuses on the possible identity of the excited states and their structural relations to the precursor ions.     

A structural investigation of [C6H6]2+ and [C6H6]+˙ ions involved in charge exchange reactions

Mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectra for collisional activation (CA) of [C₆H₆]⁺˙ formed via electron capture by [C₆H₆]²⁺ ions in collision with neutral benzene molecules have been compared for the C₆H₆ isomers benzene, 1,5-hexadiyne and 2,4-hexadiyne. Comparisons of fragment abundance and total CA fragment yields were also made for [C₆H₆]⁺˙ ions generated by electron ionization (EI). CA conditions of ion velocity and collision gas pressure were identical in these comparisons. In general the fragment abundance patterns for the ions formed by charge exchange were very similar to those for singly charged benzene ions generated by EI. However, significant variations in CA fragment yield (the ratio of the total CA fragment ion abundance to the abundance of the incident unfragmented ions) were observed. It is not clear from the results whether these variations reflect structurally different ions or ions of different internal energies. The CA spectra of [C₆H₆]⁺˙ ions derived from charge exchange reactions between the benzene dication and the target gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe have also been recorded and, once again, very similar fragment abundance patterns were observed along with large variations in total CA fragment yields. Charge exchange efficiency measurements are reported for reactions between the benzene dication and the targets He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and C₆H₆ (benzene) and also for the doubly charged ions derived from the linear C₆H₆ isomers. In the latter case Xe and benzene targets were used. The energetics and efficiency measurements for the former reactions suggest that for targets such as He and Ne the processes probably involve excited states of the doubly charged ions. The efficiencies measured for the latter reactions were distinctly different for the three C₆H₆ isomers and may indicate a strong dependence of charge exchange cross-section on doubly charged ion structure.     

Hydrogen rearrangement in molecular ions of alkyl benzenes: Appearance potentials and substituent effects on the formation of [C7H8]+ ions

The mechanism of the formation of [C₇H₈]⁺ ions by hydrogen rearrangement in the molecular ions of 1-phenylpropane and 1,3-diphenylpropane has been investigated by looking at the effects of CH₃O and CF₃ substituents in the meta and para positions on the relative abundances of the corresponding ions and on the appearance energies. The formation of [C₇H₈]⁺ ions from 1,3-diphenylpropane is much enhanced at the expense of the formation of [C₇H₇]⁺ ions by benzylic cleavage, due to the localized activation of the migrating hydrogen atom by the γ phenyl group. A methoxy substituent in the 1,3-diphenylpropane, exerts a site-specific influence on the hydrogen rearrangement, which is much more distinct than in 1-phenylpropane and related 1-phenylalkanes, the rearrangement reaction being favoured by a meta methoxy group. The mass spectrum of 1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(4-trideuteromethoxyphenyl)-propane shows that this effect is even stronger than the effect of para methoxy groups on the benzylic cleavage. From measurements of appearance potentials it is concluded that the substituent effect is not due to a stabilization of the [C₇H₇X]⁺ product ions. Whereas the [C₇H₇]⁺ ions are formed directly from molecular ions of 1-phenylpropane and 1,3-diphenylpropane, the [C₇H₈]⁺ ions arise by a two-step mechanism in which the s? complex type ion intermediate can either return to the molecular ion or fragment to [C₇H₈]⁺ by allylic bond cleavage. Obviously the formation of this s? complex type ion, is influenced by electron donating substituents in specific positions at the phenyl group. This is borne out by a calculation of the ΔH_f values of the various species by thermochemical data. Thus, the relative abundances of the fragment ions are determined by an isomerization equilibrium of the molecular ions, preceding the fragmentation reaction.     

Metastable ion studies. IV—thermochemistry and ion structures among fragmenting [C3H6]+· ions

Metastable ion peak shapes, dimensions and relative abundances have been measured for the three fragmentations [C₃H₆]⁺· → [C₃H₄]⁺· + H₂, [C₃H₆]⁺· → [C₃H₅]⁺ + H· and [C₃H₆]⁺· → [C₃H₃]⁺ + H₂ + H·. [C₃H₆]⁺· ions were derived from propene, cyclopropane, tetrahydrofuran, cyclohexanone, 2-methyl but-1-ene and cis-pent-2-ene. Activation energies for these fragmentations have been evaluated. Three daughter ion dissociations ([C₃H₅]⁺ → [C₃H₃]⁺ + H₂, [C₃H₅]⁺ → [C₃H₄]⁺· + H· and [C₃H₄]⁺· → [C₃H₃]⁺ + H·) have been similarly examined. Ion structures have been determined and the metastable energy releases have been correlated with the thermochemical data. It is concluded that the molecular ions of propene and cyclopropane become structurally indistinguishable prior to fragmentation and that differences in their metastable ion characteristics can be ascribed wholly to internal energy differences; the latter can be correlated with the photoelectron spectra of the isomers. The pathway for the consecutive fragmentation which generates the metastable ion peak (m/e 42 → m/e.39) has been shown to be It is likewise concluded that fragmentating [C₃H₆]⁺· ions generated from the various precursor molecules are also structurally indistinguishable and cannot be classified with either molecular ion of the isomeric C₃H₆ hydrocarbons.