A vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometric study of acetone

The photoionization and dissociative photoionization of acetone have been studied at the photon energy range of 8-20 eV. Photoionization efficiency spectra for ions CH3COCH3+, CH3+, C2H3+, C3H3+, C3H5+, CH(2-)CO+, CH3CO+, C3H4O+, and CH3COCH2+ have been measured. In addition, the energetics of the dissociative photoionization has been examined by ab initio Gaussian-3 (G3) calculations. The computational results are useful in establishing the dissociation channels near the ionization thresholds. With the help of G3 results, the dissociation channels for the formation of the fragment ions CH3CO+, CH2CO+, CH3+, C3H3+, and CH3COCH2+ have been established. The G3 results are in fair to excellent agreement with the experimental data.     

Thin-layer gel chromatography of dyed proteins.

Plasma chromatography as a method for ultratrace qualitative and quantitative detection of organic compounds is especially well suited for detection of gas chromatographic effluents. The optimum range of sample quantity is 10(-6) to 10(-12) g for detection and identification of a compound by use of its characteristic positive and negative mobility spectra. The type of reference mobility spectra produced by alkanes, aromatics, esters, halogenated compounds, nitrogenated compounds and organic acids have been previously reported. This study presents the reference mobility spectra produced for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC), digitoxigenin and several biochemical compounds of research significance. LSD and delta9-THC in a mixture can be detected and identified by plasma chromatography positive mobility spectra in quantities of 10(-7) g or less. All the compounds investigated in this study display strong MH+ ions along with other ions primarily of the type (M)NO+, (M)2H+. None of these compounds exhibits negative mobility spectra.     

Molecular orbital predictions of the vibrational frequencies of some molecular ions

Recent spectroscopic advances have led to the first determinations of infrared vibration-rotation bands of polyatomic molecular ions. These initial detections were guided by ab initio predictions of the vibrational frequencies. The calculations reported here predict the vibrational frequencies of additional ions which are candidates for laboratory analysis. Vibrational frequencies of neutral molecules computed at three levels of theory, HF/3-21G, HF/6-31G*, and MP2/6-31G*, were compared with experiment and the effect of scaling was investigated to determine how accurately vibrational frequencies could be predicted. For 92% of the frequencies examined, uniformly scaled HF/6-31G* vibrational frequencies were within 100 cm-1 of experiment with a mean absolute error of 49 cm-1. This relatively simple theory thus seems suitable for predicting vibrational frequencies to guide laboratory spectroscopic searches for ions in the infrared. Hence, the frequencies of 30 molecular ions, many with astrochemical significance,were computed. They are CH2+, CH3+, CH5+, NH2+, NH4+, H3O+, H2F+, SiH2+, PH4+, H3S+, H2Cl+, C2H+, classical C2H3+, nonclassical C2H3+, nonclassical C2H5+, HCNH+, H2CNH2+, H3CNH3+, HCO+, HOC+, H2CO+, H2COH+, H3COH2+, H3CFH+, HN2+, HO2+, C3H+, HOCO+, HCS+, and HSiO+.     

Detection of lysergic acid diethylamide, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and related compounds by plasma chromatography.

Plasma chromatography as a method for ultratrace qualitative and quantitative detection of organic compounds is especially well suited for detection of gas chromatographic effluents. The optimum range of sample quantity is 10-6 to 10-12 g for detection and identification of a compound by use of its characteristic positive and negative mobility spectra. The type of reference mobility spectra produced by alkanes, aromatics, esters, halogenated compounds, nitrogenated compounds and organic acids have been previously reported. This study presents the reference mobility spectra produced for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), digitoxigenin and several biochemical compounds of research significance. LSD and delat-9-THC in a mixture can be detected and identified by plasma chromatography positive mobility spectra in quantities of 10-7 g or less. All the compounds investigated in this study display strong MH-+ ions along with other ions primarily of the type (M)NO-+, (M)2H-+. None of these compounds exhibits negative mobility spectra.     

二烷氧基膦酰乙酸酯的电子轰击正离子和化学电离负离子质谱研究

本文报道一系列二烷氧基膦酰乙酸酯的电子轰击(EI)正离子和甲烷化学电离负离子(NCI)质谱.在EI谱上出现特征的[M+H]^+离子,进一步发生氢重排,然后失去烯烃,再失水和脱CH2CO.而在NCI谱中则生成[M-H]^-离子(基峰),易失去烷基,再失烷氧基和CH2CO,或氢重排后脱烯烃.正、负离子的断裂机理不同,但数据可以互相补充,以利于类似未知物的结构分析.     

Structural characterization of glycoporphyrins by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Porphyrin derivatives having a galactose or a bis(isopropylidene)galactose structural unit, linked by ester or ether bonds, were characterized by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ES-MS/MS). The electrospray mass spectra of these glycoporphyrins show the corresponding [M + H](+) ions. For the glycoporphyrins with pyridyl substituents and those having a tetrafluorophenyl spacer, the doubly charged ions [M + 2H](2+) were also observed in ES-MS with high relative abundance. The fragmentation of both [M + H](+) and [M + 2H](2+) ions exhibited common fragmentation pathways for porphyrins with the same sugar residue, independently of the porphyrin structural unit and type of linkage. ES-MS/MS of the [M + H](+) ions of the galactose-substituted porphyrins gave the fragment ions [M + H - C(2)H(4)O(2)](+), [M + H - C(3)H(6)O(3)](+), [M + H - C(4)H(8)O(4)](+) and [M + H - galactose residue](+). The fragmentation of the [M + 2H](2+) ions of the porphyrins with galactose shows the common doubly charged fragment ions [porphyrin + H](2+), [M + 2H - C(2)H(4)O(2)](2+), [M + 2H - C(4)H(8)O(4)](2+), [M + 2H - galactose residue](2+) and the singly charged fragment ions [M + H - C(3)H(6)O(3)](+) and [M + H - galactose residue](+). The fragmentation of the [M + H](+) ions of glycoporphyrins with a protected galactosyl residue leads mainly to the ions [M + H - CO(CH(3))(2)](+), [M + H - 2CO(CH(3))(2)](+), [M + H - 2CO(CH(3))(2) - CO](+), [M + H - C(10)H(16)O(4)](+) and [M + H - protected galactose](+). The doubly charged ions [M + 2H](2+) fragment to give the doubly charged ions [porphyrin + H](2+) and the singly charged ions [M + H - protected galactose residue](+) and [M + H - CO(CH(3))(2)](+). For the porphyrins where the sugar structural unit is linked by an ester bond, [M + 2H](2+), ES-MS/MS showed a major and typical fragmentation corresponding to combined loss of a sugar structural unit and further loss of water, leading to the ion [M + 2H - sugar residue - H(2)O](2+), independently of the structure of the sugar structural unit. These results show that ES-MS/MS can be a powerful tool for the characterization of the sugar structural unit of glycoporphyrins, without the need for chemical hydrolysis.     

Preparation and Crystal Structure of Hetero-metal Clusters [h5-C5H4C(O)CH2CH2C(O)OCH3]FeCoM(m3-S)(CO)8 (M = Mo or W)

The hetero-metal clusters [h5-C5H4C(O)CH2CH2C(O)OCH3]FeCoM(m3-S)(CO)8 (M = Mo 1, M = W 2) were prepared by thermal reactions of FeCo2(CO)9(m3-S) with metal exchange reagent [h5-C5H4C(O)CH2CH2C(O)OCH3]M(CO)3Na (M = Mo or W) in THF. Cluster 1 reacted with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine at room temperature to yield the cluster hydrazone derivative (m3-S)CoFeMo(CO)8[h5-C5H4C(NR)Me] [R = NHC6H3-2,4-(NO2)2] 3. All the compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, IR and NMR spectra. Cluster 1 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: C18H11O11SCoFeMo, Mr = 646.05, triclinic, space group P_1, a = 8.148(2), b = 10.685(3), c = 13.410(4) ?, a = 100.077(5), b = 102.452(5), g = 91.108(6)°, V = 1120.4(5) ?3, Z = 2, Dc = 1.915 g/cm3, F(000) = 636, m = 2.071 mm-1, the final R = 0.0378 and wR = 0.0968 for 5074 observations with (I > 2s(I)).     

Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry of 2H-chromenes

Several 2H-chromenes derived from carbazoles were analyzed by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The 2H-chromenes constitute an important class of compounds that exhibit photochromic activity. The fragmentation pathways of the protonated molecular species [M+H]+ were studied, and main fragmentation pathways of these compounds were identified. Fragmentation pathways of [M+D]+ ions were also studied in order to obtain information about the location of the ionizing proton or deuteron. It was found that the proton is not preferentially located on the nitrogen atom. The charge is preferentially located as a tertiary carbocation, resulting from the uptake of the proton (or deuteron) by the zwitterionic open structure of the chromenes. The major fragmentation occurred by cleavage of the gamma-bond relative to the carbocation center, leading to a fragment at m/z 191 (C5H11+ or C14H9N+), which are the most abundant fragment ions for almost all compounds. The presence of substituents in the chromene ring does not change this behavior. Other observed common fragmentation pathways included loss of CH3* (15 Da), loss of CO (28 Da), combined loss of CO and CH3 (43 Da), and loss of the phenyl ring via combined loss of C6H4 and CH3* (-91 Da) and combined loss of C6H6 and CO (-106 Da).     

Photodissociation and photoisomerization of alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene in a molecular beam

The photodissociation of jet-cooled alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene at 193 and 248 nm was studied using vacuum ultraviolet (vuv) photoionization/multimass ion imaging techniques as well as electron impact ionization/photofragment translational spectroscopy. Four dissociation channels were observed for alpha-fluorotoluene at both 193 and 248 nm, including two major channels C6H5CH2F-->C6H5CH2 (or C7H7)+F and C6H5CH2F-->C6H5CH (or C7H6)+HF and two minor channels C6H5CH2F-->C6H5CHF+H and C6H5CH2F-->C6H5+CH2F. The vuv wavelength dependence of the C7H7 fragment photoionization spectra indicates that at least part of the F atom elimination channel results from the isomerization of alpha-fluorotoluene to a seven-membered ring prior to dissociation. Dissociation channels of 4-fluorotoluene at 193 nm include two major channels C6H4FCH3-->C6H4FCH2+H and C6H4FCH3-->C6H4F+CH3 and two minor channels C6H4FCH3-->C6H5CH2 (or C7H7)+F and C6H4FCH3-->C6H5CH (or C7H6)+HF. The dissociation rates for alpha-fluorotoluene at 193 and 248 nm are 3.3 x 10(7) and 5.6 x 10(5) s(-1), respectively. The dissociation rate for 4-fluorotoluene at 193 nm is 1.0 x 10(6) s(-1). An ab initio calculation demonstrates that the barrier height for isomerization from alpha-fluorotoluene to a seven-membered ring isomer is much lower than that from 4-fluorotoluene to a seven-membered ring isomer. The experimental observed differences of dissociation rates and relative branching ratios between alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene may be explained by the differences in the six-membered ring to seven-membered ring isomerization barrier heights, F atom elimination threshold, and HF elimination threshold between alpha-fluorotoluene and 4-fluorotoluene.     

五羰基锰烷基化合物的合成及光化学反应研究

用五羰基锰钾盐和相应的卤代物在乙醚中的金属化反应合成了五羰基锰烷基合物 (CO)5MnR（R = CH3,p-CH2C6H4CH3, p-CH2C6H4OCH3 ）,产率达到72-93％,将这些化合物与1-2当量(CH3)2(C6H5)SiH和(CH3)(C6H5)2SiH的C6D6溶液在5℃光解,分别得到五羰基锰硅烷基化合物(CO)5MnSi(C6H5)(CH3)2和(CO)5MnSi(C6H5)2(CH3)（产率达到70-88％）。在光化学反应中,还观察到相应甲烷,对二甲苯,和对甲基苯甲醚的定量生成,以及少量的Mn2(CO)10（<2％-4％）,(CO)4MnH(SiR3)2（<9%）副产物。     

混合二肽的场解吸质谱

为了探索生物化学、生物医学中混合寡肽的分析问题,对未衍生的混合二肽场解吸质谱进行了研究(图1和图2)。在图1图2中出现了所有二肽的准分子离子[M+H]~+,除此外还出现了[2M+H]~+、[M_(AB)+H]~+、[M_(AC)+H]~+等集聚离子,这些集聚离子能用于进一步确定各个肽的分子量。     

Ion chemistry in cold plasmas of H2 with CH4 and N2

The distributions of ions and neutrals in low-pressure (approximately 10(-2) mbar) DC discharges of pure hydrogen and hydrogen with small admixtures (5%) of CH(4) and N(2) have been determined by mass spectrometry. Besides the mentioned plasma precursors, appreciable amounts of NH(3) and C(2)H(x) hydrocarbons, probably mostly from wall reactions, are detected in the gas phase. Primary ions, formed by electron impact in the glow region, undergo a series of charge transfer and reactive collisions that determine the ultimate ion distribution in the various plasmas. A comparison of the ion mass spectra for the different mixtures, taking into account the mass spectra of neutrals, provides interesting information on the key reactions among ions. The prevalent ion is H3+ in all cases, and the ion chemistry is dominated by protonation reactions of this ion and some of its derivatives. Besides the purely hydrogenic ions, N(2)H+, NH(4)+, and CH(5)+ are found in significant amounts. The only mixed C/N ion clearly identified is protonated acetonitrile C(2)H(4)N+. The results suggest that very little HCN is formed in the plasmas under study.     

Weakly coordinating anions HA2-generated from oxoanions A- and their conjugate acids. Coordination equilibria,ionic conductivities,and the structures of [Cu2(H(CH3SO3)2)4]n and [Cu(CO)(H(CF3CO2)2)]2

The coordination or ion pairing of the hydrogen-bonded anions H(CF3CO2)2- and H(CH3SO3)2- to NEt4+, Li+, Cu+, and/or Cu2+ was investigated. The structure of [Cu2(H(CH3SO3)2)4]n consists of centrosymmetric dimeric moieties that contain two homoconjugated (CH3SO2O-H...OSO2CH3)- anions per Cu2+ ion, forming typical Jahn-Teller tetragonally elongated CuO6 coordination spheres. The oxygen atoms involved in the nearly linear O-H...O hydrogen bonds (O...O approximately 2.62 A) are not coordinated to the Cu2+ ions. The structure of Cu2(CO)2(H(CF3-CO2)2)2 consists of pseudo-C2-symmetric dimers that contain one homoconjugated (CF3COO-H...OCOCF3)- anion per Cu+ ion, forming highly distorted tetrahedral Cu(CO)O3 coordination spheres. Three of the four oxygen atoms in each hydrogen-bonded H(CF3CO2)2- anion are coordinated to the Cu+ ions, including one of the oxygen atoms in each O-H...O hydrogen bond (O...O approximately 2.62 A). Infrared spectra (v(CO) values) of Cu(CO)(CF3CO2) or Cu(CO)(CH3SO3) dissolved in acetonitrile or benzene, with and without added CF3COOH or CH3SO3H, respectively, demonstrate that HA2- anions involving carboxylates or sulfonates are more weakly coordinating than the parent anions RCO2- and RSO3-. Direct current conductivities of THF solutions of Li(CF3CO2) containing varying concentrations of added CF3COOH further demonstrate that Li+ and NEt4+ ion pair much more weakly with H(CF3CO2)2- than with CF3CO2-.     

Mass spectral characterization of tetracyclines by electrospray ionization,H/D exchange,and multiple stage mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization (ESI) and collisionally induced dissociation (CID) mass spectra were obtained for five tetracyclines and the corresponding compounds in which the labile hydrogens were replaced by deuterium by either gas phase or liquid phase exchange. The number of labile hydrogens, x, could easily be determined from a comparison of ESI spectra obtained with N2 and with ND3 as the nebulizer gas. CID mass spectra were obtained for [M + H]+ and [M - H]- ions and the exchanged analogs, [M(Dx) + D]+ and [M(Dx) - D]- , and produced by ESI using a Sciex API-III(plus) and a Finnigan LCQ ion trap mass spectrometer. Compositions of product ions and mechanisms of decomposition were determined by comparison of the MS(N) spectra of the un-deuterated and deuterated species. Protonated tetracyclines dissociate initially by loss of H2O (D2O) and NH3 (ND3) if there is a tertiary OH at C-6. The loss of H2O (D2O) is the lower energy process. Tetracyclines without the tertiary OH at C-6 lose only NH3 (ND3) initially. MSN experiments showed easily understandable losses of HDO, HN(CH3)2, CH3 - N=CH2, and CO from fragment ions. The major fragment ions do not come from cleavage reactions of the species protonated at the most basic site. Deprotonated tetracyclines had similar CID spectra, with less fragmentation than those observed for the protonated tetracyclines. The lowest energy decomposition paths for the deprotonated tetracyclines are the competitive loss of NH3 (ND3) or HNCO (DNCO). Product ions appear to be formed by charge remote decompositions of species de-protonated at the C-10 phenol.     

Synthesis and platinum coordination chemistry of the perfluoroalkyl acceptor pincer ligand, 1,3-(CH(2)P(CF(3))(2))(2)C(6)H(4)

The synthesis of perfluoroalkyl-substituted "pincer"-type PCP ligands, 1,3-C6H4(CH2P(Rf)2)2 (Rf = CF3, C2F5), and platinum coordination studies (Rf = CF3) are reported. 1,3-C6H4(CH2P(CF3)2)2 (CF3PCPH) reacts at ambient temperatures with (cod)Pt(Me)Cl (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and (cod)PtMe2 to afford unmetalated PCPH-bridged products [(CF3PCPH)Pt(Me)Cl]x and cis-[(CF3PCPH)PtMe2]2, respectively. cis-[(CF3PCPH)PtMe2]2 is soluble and has been spectroscopically and crystallographically characterized. Thermolysis of these compounds results in the loss of methane and the formation of metalated complexes (CF3PCP)PtCl and (CF3PCP)PtMe. Treatment of (CF3PCP)PtCl with MeMgBr provides an alternative route to (CF3PCP)PtMe. The carbonyl cation (CF3PCP)Pt(CO)+SbF6- (nu(CO) = 2143 cm(-1)) was readily prepared by chloride abstraction with AgSbF6 under 1 atm CO. nu(CO) data indicates that RfPCP ligands are electronically analogous to trans acceptor phosphine complexes such as trans-((C2F5)2PMe)2Pt(Me)(CO)+ (nu(CO) = 2149 cm-1).     

Reactions of manganese and rhenium complexes with organic azides: preparation of tetraazabutadiene derivatives

Azide complexes [M(RN(3))(CO)(3)P(2)]BPh(4)[M = Mn, Re; R = C(6)H(5)CH(2), 4-CH(3)C(6)H(4)CH(2), C(6)H(5), 4-CH(3)C(6)H(4), C(5)H(9); P = PPh(OEt)(2), PPh(2)(OEt)] were prepared by allowing tricarbonyl MH(CO)(3)P(2) hydride complexes to react first with Br?nsted acid (HBF(4), CF(3)SO(3)H) and then with organic azide in the dark. In sunlight the reaction yielded tetraazabutadiene [M(eta(2)-1,4-R(2)N(4))(CO)(2)P(2)]BPh(4) complexes or, with benzyl azide, imine [M{eta(1)-NH[double bond, length as m-dash]C(H)Ar}(CO)(3)P(2)]BPh(4)(Ar = C(6)H(5), 4-CH(3)C(6)H(4)) derivatives. Tetraazabutadiene [M(eta(2)-1,4-R(2)N(4))(CO)(2)P(2)]BPh(4) complexes were also prepared by reacting dicarbonyl MH(CO)(2)P(3) species first with Br?nsted acid and then with an excess of organic azide. Complexes were characterised spectroscopically (IR, (1)H, (31)P, (13)C, (15)N NMR data) and by the X-ray crystal structure determination of complex [Re{eta(2)-1,4-(C(6)H(5)CH(2))(2)N(4)}(CO)(2){PPh(OEt)(2)}(2)]BPh(4)(). Strong evidence for coordination of the organic azide was obtained from the (15)N NMR spectra of labelled [M(C(6)H(5)CH(2)(15)NN(15)N)(CO)(3)P(2)]BPh(4) derivatives.     

Merging organometallic chemistry with polyoxometalate chemistry

A series of polyoxomolybdate-incorporated organometallic complexes has been obtained by reaction of [MBr(CO)5] or solvated M(CO)3+ ions (M = Mn or Br) with (nBu4N)2[Mo2O7] in methanol, sometimes in the presence of triols of the type RC(CH2OH)3 (R = Me or CH2OH). Their molecular structures are related to those of previously described polyoxoalkoxomolybdates through the formal replacement of fac-MoO2(OR)+ units by topologically equivalent fac-M(CO)3+ units. Representative pairs of structurally related clusters include [Mo2O6(OMe)4-Re(CO)32]2- and [Mo4O10(OMe)6]2-, [Mo2O4MeC(CH2O)32Mn(CO)3]- and [Mo3O6(OMe)MeC(CH2O)32]-, [Mo2O4HOCH2C(CH2O)32Mn(CO)32] and [Mo4O8(OEt)2MeC(CH2O)32], [Mo6O16(OMe)2MeC(CH2O)32-Mn(CO)32]2- and [Mo8O20(OMe)4-MeC(CH2O)32]2-. Although the frameworks of the majority of derivatives are based on tetranuclear units which display the common rhomb-like structure, the alternative cubane-type arrangement is observed in [Mo2O5(OMe)5M(CO)32]-.     

Differentiation of the diastereomeric synthetic precursors of isofebrifugine and febrifugine by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Febrifugine is an alkaloid with potent antimalarial activity isolated from Dichroa febrifuga and Hydrangea umbellate, and it exists naturally with its diastereomeric component, isofebrifugine. Here we report the differentiation of diastereomeric synthetic precursors of isofebrifugine (1, cis) and febrifugine (2, trans) and a structurally similar model diastereomeric pair without a halogen substituent (3 and 4) by electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry. Compounds 1-4 contain a tert-butoxycarbonyl (BOC) substituent, and the collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of the [M+H](+), [M+Na](+) and [M+Li](+) ions of 1-4 include the expected product ions corresponding to the loss of C(4)H(8) (isobutene) and of C(5)H(8)O(2) (BOC-H). Loss of C(5)H(8)O(2) is dominant in cis isomers (1 and 3) and/or loss of C(4)H(8) ions is dominant in trans isomers (2 and 4). The decomposition of [M+H](+) ions shows stereoselectivity in the formation of the [M+H-(BOC-H)-C(3)H(5)OBr](+) and [M+H-(BOC-H)-C(6)H(5)CH(2)OH](+) ions. The [M+Cat](+) ions (where Cat = Na or Li) additionally show loss of NaBr and HBr from [M+Cat-(BOC-H)](+), and these product ions are constantly more abundant in cis isomers than in trans isomers. The stereoselectivity for the product ion corresponding to the loss of [(BOC-H)+C(3)H(5)OBr] from [M+H](+) ions differs from that from [M+Cat](+) ions.     

含氟膦、胂叶立德的质谱研究

本文报道37个含氟膦.胂羰基的叶立德衍生物的电子轰击(EI)和8个含氟胂羟基叶立德的甲烷化学电离(Cl)正.负离子质谱. 研究其断裂规律,氧和氟原子重排以及不同取代基对一些特征离子强度的影响.     

An atmospheric pressure chemical ionization study of the positive and negative ion chemistry of the hydrofluorocarbons 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) and of perfluoro-n-hexane (FC-72) in air plasma at atmospheric pressure

A report is given on the ionization/dissociation behavior of the title compounds within air plasmas produced by electrical corona discharges at atmospheric pressure: both positive and negative ions were investigated at different temperatures using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). CHF(2)CH(3) (HFC-152a) undergoes efficient ionic oxidation to C(2)H(5)O(+), in which the oxygen comes from water present in the plasma. In contrast, CF(3)CH(2)F (HFC-134a) does not produce any characteristic positive ion under APCI conditions, its presence within the plasma being revealed only as a neutral ligand in ion-molecule complexes with ions of the background (H(3)O(+) and NO(+)). Analogously, the perfluorocarbon FC-72 (n-C(6)F(14)) does not produce significant positive ions at 30 degrees C: at high temperature, however, it undergoes dissociative ionization to form many product ions including C(3)F(6)(+), C(2)F(4)(+), C(n)F(2n+1)(+) and a few families of oxygen containing cations (C(n)F(2n+1)OH(2)(+), C(n)F(2n)OH(+), C(n)F(2n-1)O(+), C(n)F(2n-1)O(2)H(2)(+), C(n)F(2n-2)O(2)H(+)) which are suggested to derive from C(n)F(2n+1)(+) in a cascade of steps initiated by condensation with water followed by steps of HF elimination and H(2)O addition. Negative ions formed from the fluoroethanes CHF(2)CH(3) and CF(3)CH(2)F (M) include complexes with ions of the background, O(2)(-)(M), O(3)(-)(M) and some higher complexes involving also water, and complexes of the fluoride ion, F(-)(H(2)O), F(-)(M) and higher complexes with both M and H(2)O also together. The interesting product O(2)(-)(HF) is also formed from 1,1-difluoroethane. In contrast to the HFCs, perfluoro-n-hexane gives stable molecular anions, M(-), which at low source temperature or in humidified air are also detected as hydrates, M(-)(H(2)O). In addition, in humidified air F(-)(H(2)O)(n) complexes are also formed. The reactions leading to all major positive and negative product ions are discussed also with reference to available thermochemical data and relevant literature reports. The effects on both positive and negative APCI spectra due to ion activation via increasing V(cone) are also reported and discussed: several interesting endothermic processes are observed under these conditions. The results provide important information on the role of ionic reactions in non-thermal plasma processes.