Direct intramolecular gas‐phase transfer reactions during fragmentation of sildenafil and thiosildenafil analogs in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A study is made of the mass spectral fragmentation pathways of sildenafil, thiosildenafil, and analogous compounds. A prominent gas‐phase reaction that occurs during collision‐induced dissociation (CID) of thiosildenafil compounds is the transfer of an alkyl group from the piperazine nitrogen atom to the sulfur atom of the thiocarbonyl group. This phenomenon is clearly demonstrated through a comparison of electrospray ionization mass spectral fragmentation patterns of four sildenafil‐type compounds and three related thiosildenafil derivatives. Molecular modeling and fragmentation patterns support a direct intramolecular alkyl transfer mechanism rather than an ion‐neutral complex mechanism. CID of thiohydroxyhomosildenafil results in a facile hydroxyethyl migration to the sulfur atom followed by a second intramolecular reaction to form a spiro‐1,3‐oxathiolane ring, which fragments in two directions to generate both carbonyl and thiocarbonyl product ions from this thiocarbonyl compound. While methyl migration to the thiocarbonyl sulfur atom of thiosildenafil is dominant, methyl migration to the carbonyl oxygen atom of sildenafil may occur to a small extent. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of tetracationic salts as gas‐phase ion‐pairing agents for the detection of trivalent anions in positive mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In previous studies, new electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) approaches were developed for the highly sensitive detection of singly and doubly charged anions in positive mode ESI‐MS by using specially synthesized dicationic and tricationic ion‐pairing agents, respectively. By detecting the positively charged ion complex in the positive mode, limits of detection (LODs) for the anions can be lowered by several magnitudes. In this work, we used eighteen newly synthesized tetracationic ion‐pairing agents, constructed with different geometries, linkages and cation moieties, for the detection of eighteen triply charged anions of different structural motifs. The LODs for these anions were from ten to several thousand times lower in the positive selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode than in the negative mode. These tetracationic agents also were shown to be useful for the detection of ?1 and ?2 anions. In addition, the LODs for ?3 anions can be further lowered by monitoring the product fragments of the ion‐pairing complexes in the single reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure identification of a prenylflavonol glycoside from Epimedium koreanum by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

A novel prenylflavonol glycoside, named acetylicariin, has been isolated from the aerial parts of Epimedium koreanum Nakai. The structure has been identified by electrospray ionization multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn) and other chemical evidence, which has been elucidated as 8-prenylkaempferol-4'-methoxyl-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-beta-D-(2"-O-acetyl)glucopyranoside.     

Gas‐phase dissociation of 1,4‐naphthoquinone derivative anions by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Gas‐phase dissociation pathways of deprotonated 1,4‐naphthoquinone (NQ) derivatives have been investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS). The major decomposition routes have been elucidated on the basis of quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/6‐31 + G(d,p) level. Deprotonation sites have been indicated by analysis of natural charges and gas‐phase acidity. NQ anions underwent an interesting reaction under collision‐induced dissociation conditions, which resulted in the radical elimination of the lateral chain, in contrast with the even‐electron rule. Possible pathways have been suggested, and their mechanisms have been elucidated on the basis of Gibbs energy and enthalpy values for the anions previously described at each pathway. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Negative ion electrospray high‐resolution tandem mass spectrometry of polyphenols

Representative compounds with a 1,3‐dihydroxybenzene substructure belonging to different important polyphenol classes (stilbenes, flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, flavanones, flavanols, phloroglucinols, anthraquinones and bisanthraquinones) were investigated based on detailed high‐resolution tandem mass spectrometry measurements with an Orbitrap system under negative ion electrospray conditions. The mass spectral behaviour of these compound classes was compared among each other not only with respect to previously described losses of CO, CH₂CO and C₃O₂ but also concerning the loss of CO₂ and successive specific fragmentations. Furthermore, some unusual fragmentations such as the loss of a methyl radical during mass spectral decomposition are discussed. The obtained results demonstrate both similarities and differences in their mass spectral fragmentation under MSⁿ conditions, allowing a characterization of the corresponding compound type. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereochemical differentiation of C‐7 hydroxyltaxane isomers by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In this study, different electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (ESI‐MS) methods were utilized to analyze several pairs of taxane stereoisomers including paclitaxel and 7‐epi‐paclitaxel. Both ESI‐MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques provided stereochemically dependent mass spectra in negative‐ion mode, and all studied stereoisomers could be easily distinguished based on their characteristic ions or distinct fragmentation patterns. MS/MS experiments for several taxane analogues at various collision energies were performed to elucidate potential dissociation pathways. The gas‐phase deprotonation potentials were also calculated to estimate the most thermodynamically favorable deprotonation site using DFT B3LYP/6‐31G(d). The results of the theoretical studies agreed well with the fragmentation patterns of paclitaxel and 7‐epi‐paclitaxel observed from MS/MS experiments. In addition, it was found that liquid chromatography (LC)/ESI‐MS was a useful and sensitive technique for assignment of C‐7 taxane stereoisomers from realistic samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selective linkage detection of O‐sialoglycan isomers by negative electrospray ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

Sialylated O‐linked oligosaccharides are involved in many biological processes, such as cell‐cell interactions, cell‐substance adhesion, and virus‐host interactions. These activities depend on their structure, which is frequently determined by tandem mass spectrometry. However, these spectra are frequently analyzer‐dependent, which makes it difficult to develop widely applicable analytical methods. In order to deepen the origin of this behavior, two couples of isomers of sialylated O‐linked oligosaccharides, NeuAcα2‐3Galβ1‐3GalNAc‐ol/Galβ1‐3(NeuAcα2‐6)GalNAc‐ol and NeuGcα2‐3Galβ1‐3GalNAc‐ol/Galβ1‐3(NeuGcα2‐6)GalNAc‐ol, were analyzed by liquid chromatography/negative electrospray ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI(?)‐MSⁿ) using both an ion trap and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Results clearly showed that while ions obtained in the triple quadrupole instrument fitted very well with the standard fragmentation routes, in the ion trap several intense ions could not be explained by these rules, specially a fragment at m/z 597. Furthermore, this ion was observed in the mass spectrum of those isomers that sialic acid binds to GalNAc by an α2‐6 linkage. From the MS³ spectrum of this ion an unexpected structure was deduced, and it led to propose alternative fragmentation pathways. Molecular mechanics calculations suggested that the found atypical route could be promoted by a hydrogen bond located only in α2‐6‐linked oligosaccharides. It has also been demonstrated that this process follows a slow kinetic, explaining why it cannot be observed using an ion beam‐type mass analyzer. In conclusion, ion traps seem to be more appropriate than triple quadrupoles to develop a reliable analytical method to distinguish between isomeric O‐linked glycans. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Real‐time reaction monitoring by probe electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Probe electrospray ionization (PESI) is a modified version of the electrospray ionization (ESI), where the capillary for sampling and spraying is replaced by a solid needle. High tolerance to salts and direct ambient sampling are major advantages of PESI compared with conventional ESI. In this study, PESI‐MS was used to monitor some biological and chemical reactions in real‐time, such as acid‐induced protein denaturation, hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) of peptides, and Schiff base formation. By using PESI‐MS, time‐resolved mass spectra and ion chromatograms can be obtained reproducibly. Real‐time PESI‐MS monitoring can give direct and detailed information on each chemical species taking part in reactions, and this is valuable for a better understanding of the whole reaction process and for the optimization of reaction parameters. PESI‐MS can be considered as a potential tool for real‐time reaction monitoring due to its simplicity in instrumental setup, direct sampling with minimum sample preparation and low sample consumption. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a tandem time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization ion source

A new tandem time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization ion source ‘ESI‐TOF/quadTOF’ was designed and constructed to achieve the desired aim of structural elucidation via high‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (CID), and the simultaneous detection of all fragment ions. The instrument consists of an orthogonal acceleration‐type ESI ion source, a linear TOF mass spectrometer, a collision cell, a quadratic‐field ion mirror and a microchannel plate detector. High‐energy CID spectra of doubly protonated angiotensin II and bradykinin were obtained. Several fragment ions such as a‐, d‐, v‐ and w‐type ions, characteristic of high‐energy CID, were clearly observed in these spectra. These high‐energy CID fragment ions enabled confirmation of the complete sequence, including leucine–isoleucine determinations. It was demonstrated that high‐energy CID of multiply protonated peptides could be achieved in the ESI‐TOF/quadTOF. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of amino acid‐derived betaines by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Betaines belong to the naturally occurring osmoprotectants or compatible solutes present in a variety of plants, animals and microorganisms. In recent years, metabolomic techniques have been emerging as a fundamental tool for biologists because the constellation of these molecules and their relative proportions provide with information about the actual biochemical condition of a biological system. Therefore, identification and characterization of biologically important betaines are crucial, especially for metabolomic studies. Most of the natural betaines are derived from amino acids and related homologues. Although, theoretically, all the amino acids can be converted to corresponding betaines by simple methylation of the amine group, only a few of the amino acid‐derived betaines were fully characterized in the literature. Here, we report a combined electrospray ionization tandem and high‐resolution mass spectrometry study of all the betaines derived from amino acids, including the isomeric betaines. The decomposition pathway of protonated, sodiated and potassiated molecule ions that enable unambiguous characterization of the betaines including the isomeric betaines and overlapping ionic species of different betaines is distinctive. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fragmentation of 2‐aroylbenzofuran derivatives by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

We investigated the gas‐phase fragmentation reactions of a series of 2‐aroylbenzofuran derivatives by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS). The most intense fragment ions were the acylium ions m/z 105 and [M+H–C₆H₆]⁺, which originated directly from the precursor ion as a result of 2 competitive hydrogen rearrangements. Eliminations of CO and CO₂ from [M+H–C₆H₆]⁺ were also common fragmentation processes to all the analyzed compounds. In addition, eliminations of the radicals •Br and •Cl were diagnostic for halogen atoms at aromatic ring A, whereas eliminations of •CH₃ and CH₂O were useful to identify the methoxyl group attached to this same ring. We used thermochemical data, obtained at the B3LYP/6‐31+G(d) level of theory, to rationalize the fragmentation pathways and to elucidate the formation of E , which involved simultaneous elimination of 2 CO molecules from B .     

Gas‐phase fragmentation of γ‐lactone derivatives by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Fragmentation reactions of β‐hydroxymethyl‐, β‐acetoxymethyl‐ and β‐benzyloxymethyl‐butenolides and the corresponding γ‐butyrolactones were investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS) using collision‐induced dissociation (CID). This study revealed that loss of H₂O [M + H ?18]⁺ is the main fragmentation process for β‐hydroxymethylbutenolide (1) and β‐hydroxymethyl‐γ‐butyrolactone (2). Loss of ketene ([M + H ?42]⁺) is the major fragmentation process for protonated β‐acetoxymethyl‐γ‐butyrolactone (4), but not for β‐acetoxymethylbutenolide (3). The benzyl cation (m/z 91) is the major ion in the ESI‐MS/MS spectra of β‐benzyloxymethylbutenolide (5) and β‐benzyloxymethyl‐γ‐butyrolactone (6). The different side chain at the β‐position and the double bond presence afforded some product ions that can be important for the structural identification of each compound. The energetic aspects involved in the protonation and gas‐phase fragmentation processes were interpreted on the basis of thermochemical data obtained by computational quantum chemistry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.