Identification of isobaric product ions in electrospray ionization mass spectra of fentanyl using multistage mass spectrometry and deuterium labeling

Isobaric product ions cannot be differentiated by exact mass determinations, although in some cases deuterium labeling can provide useful structural information for identifying isobaric ions. Proposed fragmentation pathways of fentanyl were investigated by electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry coupled with deuterium labeling experiments and spectra of regiospecific deuterium labeled analogs. The major product ion of fentanyl under tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) conditions (m/z 188) was accounted for by a neutral loss of N‐phenylpropanamide. 1‐(2‐Phenylethyl)‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (1) was proposed as the structure of the product ion. However, further fragmentation (MS³) of the fentanyl m/z 188 ion gave product ions that were different from the product ion in the MS/MS fragmentation of synthesized 1, suggesting that the m/z 188 product ion from fentanyl includes an isobaric structure different from the structure of 1. MS/MS fragmentation of fentanyl in deuterium oxide moved one of the isobars to 1 Da higher mass, and left the other isobar unchanged in mass. Multistage mass spectral data from deuterium‐labeled proposed isobaric structures provided support for two fragmentation pathways. The results illustrate the utility of multistage mass spectrometry and deuterium labeling in structural assignment of isobaric product ions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The mass spectra of ω-amino acid derivatives. The role of ω-activation in production of ions upon electron-impact

The mass spectra of a series of N-phthaloyl and N-trifluoroacetyl derivatives of ω-amino acids ranging from 3-aminopropionic acid to 6-aminohexanoic acid were determined. Ions of significant intensity resulting from the loss of neutral fragments from precursor ions were observed. Deuterium labeling studies indicate the initial fragmentation loss of a neutral molecule; i.e. the loss of water from the molecular ion involves ω-hydrogen loss from the alkyl chain. A fragmentation scheme consistent with metastable, high resolution and deuterium labeling data is presented.     

The mass spectrometric [M ? C2H4O]+ process in cyclic ketones. I—the nature of the C2H4O losss in bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-2-one and 3-one

Although the loss of a C₂H₄O molecule from the molecular ions of the isomeric bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-2- and 3-ones gives rise to the base peak at m/e 94 in both spectra, deuterium labelling results show that the processes leading to this ion are markedly different in the two cases. While the 2-one follows essentially (>80%) the same [M ? C₂H₄O]+ fragmentation pathway described for other 2-alkylcyclohexanones, the 3-one exhibits a more complex decomposition pathway in which one α-hydrogen is transferred away from the departing C₂ unit and three hydrogen atoms are subsequently rearranged to the eliminated C₂H₄O molecule. Similar competing fragmentation schemes have been invoked to explain deuterium labelling results in cycloheptanone, 2-methylcycloheptanone and cyclooctanone.     

The mass spectra of isomeric hydrocarbons—I: Norbornene and nortricyclene; The mechanisms and energetics of their fragmentations

The mass spectra of norbornene, nortricyclene and deuterium labeled derivatives thereof have been studied. The appearance potentials of the ions [C₇H₁₀]^+·, [C₇H₉]⁺, [C₆H₇]⁺ and [C₅H₆]^+· have been determined for both compounds and heats of formation of the hydrocarbons have been estimated. Detailed fragmentation schemes are proposed for the molecular ions and it is concluded that they dissociate by essentially different mechanisms which do not involve common intermediates. The structures and energy contents of the primary fragment ions are discussed in detail by comparing energetics, labeling experiments and metastable ion abundances.     

Concerning the structure and fragmentation of [C3H7O]+ ions derived from alcohols

The formation of [CH2OH]^+. by fragmentation of [C3H7O]^+. ions in the electron-impact mass spectra of 2-methyl-2-propanol and 2-propanol has been investigated using 13C labeling, deuterium labeling and metastable studies. The similar fragmentation reaction in the chemical ionization mass spectrum of acetone has been studied. It is concluded that the fragmentation reaction does not involve complete randomization of the carbon atoms and therefore does not proceed through formation of a hydroxylated cyclopropane intermediate. Alternative mechanisms are discussed.     

Stereochemical applications of mass spectrometry. II—Chemical ionization mass spectra of isomeric dicarboxylic acids and derivatives

The H₂ and CH₄, chemical ionization mass spectra of the cis dicarboxylic acids, maleic and citraconic acid, show much more extensive loss of H₂O from [MH]⁺ than the trans isomers, fumaric acid and mesaconic acid. Similarly, esters of maleic acid show a much more facile loss of ROH (R=alkyl or phenyl) from [MH]⁺ than do esters of fumaric acid. Similar differences are observed in the chemical ionization mass spectra of the isomeric phthalic and isophthalic acids and derivatives, where the ortho isomers show more extensive fragmentation of [MH]⁺ than the meta isomers. The facile fragmentation of [MH]⁺ for the cis and ortho isomers is attributed to ROH elimination involving interaction between the two carboxylate functions and forming the stable cyclic anhydride structure for the fragment ion. By contrast ROH elimination from [MH]⁺ for the trans and metu isomers requires a symmetry-forbidden [1,3]-H migration in the carboxyl protonated species and cannot lead to the cyclic anhydride structure. The chemical ionization mass spectra of cis and trans cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acids are essentially identical and show extensive fragmentation of the [IMH]⁺ ion. Experiments using deuterium labelling show extensive carboxyl group interactions for both isomers. The chemical ionization mass spectra of maleanilic and phthalanilic acids and of the related anhydrides and imides also are reported, as are the electron impact mass spectra of diphenyl maleate, diphenyl fumarate, diphenyl phthalate, maleanilic acid and phthalanilic acid.     

Some distinguishing tests for α-amino acids and a specific spot test for lysine

Tests are described for differentiation between neutral, basic, and acidic amino acids based on the formation of nickel dimethylglyoxime precipitate from an equilibrium mixture containing Ni²⁺, dimethylglyoxime and Ni²⁺, dimethylglyoxime-glycine. A highly sensitive and specific test for lysine is described, based on the formation of nickel dimethylglyoxime precipitate in a drop of the equilibrium mixture, by the reaction of the volatile amino aldehyde, produced by the oxidative deamination-decarboxylation of lysine. Other basic amino acids, i.e., arginine and histidine do not interfere, and the test can be applied for lysine in a mixture with other amino acids.     

Gas-Phase Fragmentation Analysis of Nitro-Fatty Acids

Nitro-fatty acids are electrophilic signaling mediators formed in increased amounts during inflammation by nitric oxide and nitrite-dependent redox reactions. A more rigorous characterization of endogenously-generated species requires additional understanding of their gas-phase induced fragmentation. Thus, collision induced dissociation (CID) of nitroalkane and nitroalkene groups in fatty acids were studied in the negative ion mode to provide mass spectrometric tools for their structural characterization. Fragmentation of nitroalkanes occurred mainly through loss of the NO₂^- anion or neutral loss of HNO₂. The CID of nitroalkenes proceeds via a more complex cyclization, followed by fragmentation to nitrile and aldehyde products. Gas-phase fragmentation of nitroalkene functional groups with additional γ or δ unsaturation occurred through a multiple step cyclization reaction process, leading to 5 and 6 member ring heterocyclic products and carbon chain fragmentation. Cyclization products were not obtained during nitroalkane fragmentation, highlighting the role of double bond π electrons during NO₂^- rearrangements, stabilization and heterocycle formation. The proposed structures, mechanisms and products of fragmentation are supported by analysis of ¹³C and ¹⁵N labeled parent molecules, 6 different nitroalkene positional isomers, 6 nitroalkane positional isomers, accurate mass determinations at high resolution and quantum mechanics calculations. Multiple key diagnostic ion fragments were obtained through this analysis, allowing for the precise placement of double bonds and sites of fatty acid nitration, thus supporting an ability to predict nitro positions in biological samples.     

In-Electrospray source Hydrogen/Deuterium exchange coupled to multistage fragmentation for the investigation of the protonation and fragmentation pathways of gas phase ions

Identification of molecules in complex natural matrices relies on matching the fragmentation spectra of ions under investigation and the spectra acquired for the corresponding analytical standards. Currently, there are many databases of experimentally measured tandem mass spectrometry spectra (such as NIST, MzCloud, and Metlin), and considerable progress has been made in the development of software for predicting tandem mass spectrometry fragments in silico using combinatorial, machine learning, and quantum chemistry approaches (such as MetFrag, CFM-ID, and QCxMS). However, the electrospray ionization molecules can be ionized at different sites (protonated or deprotonated), and the fragmentation spectra of such ions are different. Here, we are using the combination of the in-ESI source hydrogen/deuterium exchange reaction and MSⁿ fragmentation for the investigation of the fragmentation pathways for different protomers of organic molecules. It is shown that the distribution of the deuterium in the fragment ions reflects the presence of different protomers. For several molecules, the distribution of deuterium was traced up to the MS⁵ level of fragmentation revealing many unusual and unexpected effects. For example, we investigated the loss of HF from the ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin ions and observed that for ions protonated at –COOH group, the eliminating hydrogen always comes from –NH group. When ions are protonated at another site, the elimination of hydrogen with a probability of 30% occurs from the –NH group, and with a probability of 70%, it originates from other sites on the molecule. Such effects were not described previously. Quantum chemical simulation was used for the verification of the protonated structures and simulation of the corresponding fragmentation spectra.     

13C-NMR. Spectra of Natural and Semi-synthetic Cannabinoids

The ¹³C-NMR. spectra of one natural and ten semi-synthetic cannabinoids were analyzed in detail. Assignments of the signals are based on their chemical shifts, splitting patterns in ¹H-off-resonance decoupling experiments and comparison with ¹³C-NMR. data of related cannabinoids. With some compounds final assignments were made by selective ¹H-decoupling experiments and incremental calculations.     

Fragmentation of dihydro- and tetrahydro-1,5-benzothiazepines under electron impact

The fragmentation mechanisms of dihydro- and tetrahydro-1,5-benzothiazepines under electron impact have been studied in detail using high resolution mass spectrometry, metastable decompositions and deuterium labelling techniques. Both kinds of the benzothiazepines possess high stability. The [M? SH]⁺ and the cyclic benzothiazole ions derived from the fragmentation and severe skeletal rearrangement of the molecular ion comprised the main features of the spectra. Some doubly charged ions were noticed in the low resolution electron impact mass spectra.     

Collisionally induced dissociative ionization of neutral products from unimolecular ion fragmentations. 1—Neutral product structures

A method is described for the investigation of the structure of neutral products from the unimolecular (metastable) dissociative ionizations of mass selected ions, by means of the collisionally induced dissociative ionization of the neutral species themselves. The neutral species, with kilovolt translational energies, enter a positively charged collision cell situated in the second field free region of a standard ZAB-2F mass spectrometer. Dissociative ionization of the neutrals results therein from their collisions with He target gas. The resulting ions are analysed by means of the electric sector and the relative ion abundances are shown to be structure characteristic. For such experiments the neutral flux should be c. ≥ 0.5% of the selected precursor ion flux; the collision gas pressure must be insufficient to cause significant precursor ion fragmentation in the field free region preceding the collision cell. It was shown that HNC is generated in the fragmentation of aniline molecular ions, whereas HCN is the neutral product in the dissociative ionizations of pyridine, benzonitrile and benzyl cyanide. The neutral radical [C, H₃, O˙] formed together with [CH₃CO]⁺ from ionized methyl acetate has the structure ˙CH₂OH, but that from the analogous fragmentation of the methyl propanoate molecular ion has the structure CH₃O˙. Allyl radicals were shown to be generated from [(CH₃)₂CHCH₂OH]⁺˙ together with [CH₃OH₂]⁺ ions.     

The electron impact induced fragmentations of the four isomeric: 7-t-butylbicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-3-carboxylic acids

The mass spectral fragmentation of the four isomeric 7-t-butylbicyclo[3.3.1]-3-carboxylic acids is presented and discussed. Characteristic differences in the mode of the expulsion of the t-Bu group allow configurational assignment. The fragmentation of the endo-endo isomer as well as that of the related compound trans-4-t-butylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid was studied in more detail using deuterium labeling. It is shown that the expulsion of C₄H₇^? takes place with a direct hydrogen transfer from the t-Bu to the COOH group.     

Neutral organic lewis acids of π type

The interaction of some neutral acids of π type, bearing appropriate unsymmetrical substitutions at the C?C group with some selected bases (H₂O, NH₃, OH^?), is compared with that of the parent compound of a new set of neutral π acids, bearing symmetrical substitutions at the C?C group with the same bases. The analyses of the interaction energy, performed according to two decomposition schemes, with and without the counterpoise corrections, make clear the similarity of symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted neutral organic acids.     

Mass spectrometry in structural and stereochemical problems—CLXXXVII A study of skeletal rearrangements in chromans by combined 13C and deuterium labeling

Chroman (I), 2,2-dimethylchroman (II), flavan (III) and 2,2-diphenylchroman (IV) were labeled with ¹³C or deuterium at every position of importance. The mass spectra of these labeled compounds make possible a detailed interpretation of some very complex carbon skeleton rearrangements. The combination of deuterium and ¹³C-labeling revealed that loss of CH₃, C₂H₅ and C₇H₇ fragments from chroman (I), 2,2-dimethylchroman (II) and 2,2-diphenylchroman (IV) respectively, occurs by multiple pathways involving aryl or alkyl migrations with little hydrogen randomization prior to fragmentation. Although ejection of C₇H₇ from flavan (III) occurs to a small extent by a route similar to those mentioned above, its [M ? C₇H₇] fragment can also be formed by a pathway involving no phenyl migration but extensive hydrogen scrambling. The validity of the schemes proposed on the basis of the ¹³C labeling data was checked by using them to predict the spectra of the deuterium labeled compounds.     

Deuterium Clusters D N and Mixed K–D and D–H Clusters of Rydberg Matter: High Temperatures and Strong Coupling to Ultra-Dense Deuterium

Ultra-dense deuterium D(−1) can be formed by a catalytic process from Rydberg Matter (RM) of deuterium as reported previously. Laser-induced inertial confinement fusion (ICF) has recently been observed in this material. The formation of D(−1) is now studied through experiments observing the deuterium RM clusters D _N in excitation levels n _B  = 1, 3 and 4. These levels are intermediate in the formation process of D(−1). Laser-induced fragmentation is used, with neutral time-of-flight (TOF) and TOF–MS measurements of the kinetic energy release (KER) from the quantized Coulomb explosions (CE). Several types of pure D _N clusters, mixed clusters containing both D and H atoms, and clusters containing both D and K atoms are identified. The large planar RM clusters which are common for H and K are less common for D. The neutral D _N clusters are small and have high kinetic temperature, typically at 100 K instead of 10 K for K _N and H _N . Large D _N ⁺ clusters are only observed when an electric field is applied, probably stabilized by increased cooling. A strong coupling of the D(1) laser fragmentation signal to the ultra-dense D(−1) signal is observed, and the materials D(1) and D(−1) are two rapidly interchangeable forms of quantum fluids.     

Etude par spectrométrie de masse du cyclopentanediol-trans-1,2

The electron impact induced fragmentation of trans cyclopentane-1, 2-diol has been investigated using derivatives specifically labelled with deuterium and high-resolution mass spectral data. The elimination of the elements of water from the molecular ion involves at least three mechanisms whose relative importance has been evaluated. A fragmentation scheme based upon metastable peaks and labelling is presented.     

Mass spectral fragmentation patterns of heterocycles. VII . Reinvestigation of fundamental processes in phenothiazines

Electron impact induced fragmentation patterns of simple phenothiazines have been reinvestigated using metastable ion studies, exact mass measurements and deuterated derivatives. Secondary fragmentation processes involving ions m/e 198, 171, 167, 166, 154, 140 and 139 have been clarified. Mechanisms for the release of sulfur (SH· and CSH·) nitrogen (HCN and H₂CN·) containing fragments from phenothiazine molecular ion are proposed based on the deuterium content of the daughter ions obtained from 1,9-dideutenophenothiazine. A revised mechanism for the expulsion of ketene from 10-acetylphenothiazine is suggested based on the fragmentation pattern of the 1,9-dideuterioderivative. The composition of m/e 140 was determined by high resolution measurement to be C₁₀H₆N and not C₁₁H₇ as previously reported.     

Spectrométrie de Masse—IV: Fragmentation des Dicétones—ϵ

The mass spectra of ten symmetrical ?-diketones are reported and a number of fragmentation patterns are documented by deuterium labelling experiments. The McLafferty rearrangement involving one of the carbonyl groups is not an important fragmentation pathway although such a double rearrangement is observed for long-chained ?-diketones. Special attention has been given to the ions resulting from the loss of either a molecule of water or the neutral species C₂H₄ which may involve an electron-impact induced formation of cyclobutanol-type ions analogous to the photochemical Yang's reaction.     

Electron impact-induced fragmentation of 2,1-benzisothiazoline 2,2-dioxide

The electron impact-induced fragmentation patterns of 2,1-benzisothiazoline 2,2-dioxide nitro derivatives were studied. The rationalizations proposed for the fragmentations are supported by accurate mass measurements, daughter ion (mass analysed ion kinetic energy and B/E linked-scan), parent ion, and constant neutral loss spectra in metastable and collision-induced dissociation modes and deuterium labelling.