Skeletal rearrangements induced by chemical ionization—I : Analogy to solvolysis

In contrast to the usual expectation in chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry, the CI spectra of a series of aryl 4-nitro-Δ'-cyclohexenes show very low intensity protonated molecular ions while a major share of the ion current is carried by rearrangement ions. The intervention of a rearrangement long known in the solvolysis of cyclohexenyl carbenium ions can account for the observed CI behaviour.     

The fast atom bombardment mass spectra of glucosinolates and glucosinolate mixtures

The behaviour of glucosinolates and desulphoglucosinolates under fast atom bombardment conditions has been investigated. Relatively little fragmentation was noted in the mass spectra of these compounds. The positive ion fast atom bombardment mass spectra of glucosinolates exhibited abundant cationized and protonated molecula ions, thus complementing the previously reported electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectra of these compounds. Desulphoglucosinolates yield only the protonated molecular ion. Under negative ion conditions the spectra of glucosinolates were dominated by the molecular anion and this has been used as a means of analysing a crude plant extract containing a complex mixture of glucosinolates.     

Chemical ionization and electron impact mass spectra of alicyclic substituted 2-aryl-1,3-dithianes

The methane and isobutane chemical ionization mass spectra of alicyclic substituted 2-aryl-1,3-dithianes were examined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The protonated molecular ion was found to be of low abundance in the methane spectra, while a protonated cyclic sulfide cation (m/z 107) appeared as the base peak. A protonated molecular ion was the base peak when isobutane was used as the reagent gas. Electron impact mass spectra displayed weak molecular ions and were characterized by the m/z 106 fragment.     

Mass-spectrometric studies of new 6-nitroquipazines—serotonin transporter inhibitors

Six synthesized 6-nitroquipazine derivatives were examined by electron ionization (EI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion mode. The compounds exhibit high affinity for the serotonin transporter (SERT) and belong to a new class of SERT inhibitors. The EI mass spectra registered in negative ion mode showed prominent molecular ions for all the compounds studied. All EI mass spectra and all ESI mass spectra showed similar fragmentation pathways of molecular ions, but the pathways differed between EI and ESI. The differences were explained with the aid of theoretical evaluation of the stability of the respective radical ions (EI MS) and protonated ions (ESI MS).     

Chromatographic and mass spectral studies of perfluorooctanesulfonate and three perfluorooctanesulfonamides

The chromatographic and mass spectral characteristics of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and three nitrogen-substituted perfluorooctanesulfonamides have been obtained. A methyl/phenyl mixed-phase fused-silica capillary column was used for gas chromatographic (GC) analyses, while a C18 reversed-phase microbore column was used for liquid chromatographic (LC) analyses. Mass (MS) and tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra were generated using electron ionization (EI), argon CE, methane positive and negative ion CI, and ES ionization modes. EI spectra of the amides showed ions characteristic of both the fluorinated hydrocarbon and the sulfonamide portion of the molecules. The fragmentation pathway was studied using hydrogen/deuterium exchange, and was thought to involve a cyclic intermediate ion. Formation of molecular ions by CE and protonated molecule ions by CI to obtain molecular weight information was only partially successful. Negative ion ES-MS spectra provided intense [M-H]- anions for the amides, and an [M-K]- anion for PFOS from which molecular weight information could be obtained, while ES-MS/MS produced product ions that could be used to detect the presence of these compounds in biological or environmental samples.     

An evaluation of atmospheric pressure ionization techniques for the analysis of N-Methyl carbamate pesticides by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques are evaluated for the mass spectral analysis of N-methyl carbamate pesticides. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) using a heated nebulizer interface provided both protonated molecules and abundant, characteristic fragment ions. With ion spray (ISP; pneumatically assisted electrospray ionization), which utilizes a milder “ion evaporation” process, primarily protonated molecules were obtained, although fragment ions similar to those observed in APCI could be induced by variation of the API orifice voltage. Product ion spectra of ISP-derived protonated molecules, generated by tandem mass spectrometry using collision-induced dissociation, are also presented. The APCI and ISP spectra of the carbamates are compared to those obtained with a thermospray interface and also to their electron ionization and methane CI spectra obtained with a particle beam interface. For all four interfaces, combined liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods using conventional (4.6 mm i.d.) columns are described for the separation and detection of pesticide mixtures. These methods are applied to the confirmatory analysis of three representative carbamate pesticides, spiked at the 0.1-ppm level in green peppers. For those carbamates amenable to gas chromatography mass spectrometry, comparative results are presented.     

Ionisation Chimique de Composés Aromatiques Nitrés

The collision induced dissociations of [MH – 30]⁺ ions observed in the chemical ionization (methane) mass spectra of some nitro aromatic compounds show that these ions are formed by reduction in the ion source with subsequent protonation and not by the previously reported losses of NO^· from the protonated molecular ions.     

Chemical ionization and electron impact mass spectrometry of some organophosphonate compounds

The application of gas chromatography chemical ionization mass spectrometry to the determination of a variety of alkyl alkylphosphonates, phosphonofluoridates, phosphonothiolates and an amidophosphorocyanidate is described. Comparison is made between the electron ionization and chemical ionization mass spectrometry of these compounds. Chemical ionization mass spectrometry is shown to enhance the capability for identification, especially when a limited sample is available. Results indicate that methane is highly useful for obtaining protonated molecular ions and association ions (formed by the transfer of a reactant ion to a sample molecule) as well as meaningful fragment ions. Ionizing ethylene and isobutane gives protonated molecular ions as base peaks for all of the compounds studied, including those where a lower abundance of the [MH]₊ ion is found via methane chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Ethylene is superior to isobutane on the basis of its effectiveness for serving as both a carrier and a reagent gas and gives better sensitivity. Although not an intrinsic part of this present study, analytical sensitivities in the subnanogram range were found.     

Mass spectrometry of π-complexes of transition metals XVIII. Products of addition of hydrogen and deuteroexchange in mass spectra of some π-complexes of transition metals

In the mass spectra of some π-complexes of transition metals, obtained by their simultaneous evaporation with organic molecules and deuteroanalogues, protonated (deuterated) molecular and fragment ions have been discovered. They are formed as a result of ion—molecule reactions in the ionization chamber of the mass spectrometer at pressures of 10^?510^?4mmHg as well as during the interactions of neutral molecules.     

顺,反式环丙烷衍生物异构体的区分

在化学电离条件下，研究了４种顺、反式环丙烷衍生物与丙酮和醋酸乙烯酸乙烯酯的分子离子反应。异构体１，２的丙酮ＣＩ谱及其加合离子「Ｍ＋Ｈ＋Ａ」的ＣＩＤ谱都 可以区分该对异构体。化合物２，３和４可以和质子化丙酮及质子化二聚体发生加合反应，但化合物１仅能与质子化丙酮发生加合反应。在醋酸乙烯酯的ＣＩ谱中，观察到４个化合物的质子化二聚体，其中异构体１，２的质子化二聚体的ＣＩＤ谱也能反映它们立体结构的差异。     

Elucidation of the complex molecular structure of wheat straw lignin polymer by atmospheric pressure photoionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

Wheat straw lignin was extracted using the novel CIMV procedure which selectively separates the cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Solid-state (13)C NMR experiments using cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) were carried out on the extracted wheat straw lignin and some structural indices were revealed. Atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry (APPI-MS) has proven to be a powerful analytical tool capable of ionizing small to large lignin oligomers, which cannot be ionized efficiently by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI). The APPI mass spectra of the extracted wheat straw lignin were recorded in the positive and negative ion modes. Positive ion mode APPI-MS indicated the exact presence of 39 specific oligomeric ions. Negative ion APPI-MS indicated the additional presence of at least 18 specific oligomeric ions. The structural characterization of this novel and complete series of 57 specific related oligomers was achieved by calculating the exact molecular masses measured by high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QqToF-MS). Some oligomeric species photoionized in both the positive and negative ion modes to form the respective protonated and deprotonated molecules. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometric analyses performed with a QqToF-MS/MS hybrid instrument provided unique dissociation patterns of the complete series of novel precursor ions. These MS/MS analyses provided diagnostic product ions, which enabled us to determine the exact molecular structures and arrangement of the selected 57 different related ionic species.     

Electron ionization and methane chemical ionization mass spectrometry study of some 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-dioxolanes, 1,3-dithiolanes, 1,3-oxathiolanes and 1,3-dioxanes. Gas-phase lactone and thiolactone formation

The electron ionization and methane chemical ionization mass spectra of some 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-dioxolanes, 1,3-dithiolanes and 1,3-oxathiolanes were studied. Especially, the effect of the length of the side chain in ring position 2 of these compounds and the ease of formation of possible lactone/thiolactone ion as a fragmentation product were examined. In addition, two 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-dioxanes were studied to see the effect of the bigger ring size. The formation of lactone ions was more favorable under methane chemical ionization than under electron ionization conditions. The structures of fragment ions and the ions generated from model compounds were carefully studied using both high- and low-energy collision-induced dissociation. Also ab initio molecular orbital calculations up to the HF/6–31G** level of theory for protonated 2-methyl-2-propanoic acid ethyl ester of 1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-oxathiolane and 1,3-dithiolane and for two isomeric bicyclic ions were carried out. The theoretical results obtained favor the formation of the lactone ion. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of the position of internal histidine residues on the collision-induced fragmentation of triply protonated tryptic peptides

The collision-induced dissociation spectra of a series of synthetic, tryptic peptides that differed by the position of an internal histidine residue were studied. Electrospray ionization of these peptides produced both doubly and triply protonated molecular ions. Collision-induced fragmentation of the triply protonated peptide ions had better efficiency than that of the doubly protonated ions, producing a higher abundance of product ions at lower collision energies. The product ion spectra of these triply protonated ions were dominated by a series of doubly charged y-ions and the amount of sequence information was dependent on the position of the histidine residue. In the peptides where the histidine was located towards the C-terminus of the peptide, a more extensive series of sequence specific product ions was observed. As the position of the histidine residue was moved towards the N-terminus of the peptide, systematically less sequence information was observed. The peptides were subsequently modified with diethylpyrocarbonate to manipulate the product ion spectra. Addition of the ethoxyformyl group to the N-terminus and histidine residue shifted the predominant charge state of the modified peptide to the doubly protonated form. These peptide ions fragmented efficiently, producing product ion spectra that contained more sequence information than could be obtained from the corresponding unmodified peptide.     

Comparative study of organic dyes with time-of-flight static secondary ion mass spectrometry and related techniques

A series of cationic, zwitterionic and anionic fluorinated carbocyanine dyes, spin-coated on Si substrates, were measured with time-of-flight static secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-S-SIMS) under Ga(+) primary ion bombardment. Detailed fragmentation patterns were developed for all dyes measured. In the positive mode, the resulting spectra showed very intense signals for the precursor ions of the cationic dyes, whereas the protonated signals of the anionic dyes were hardly detected. Differences of three orders of magnitude were repeatedly observed for the secondary ion signal intensities of cationic and anionic dyes, respectively. All measured dyes yielded mass spectra containing several characteristic fragment ions. Although the secondary ion yields were still higher for the cationic than the anionic dye fragments, the difference was reduced to a factor of < or =10. This result and the fact that M(+), [M + H](+) or [M + 2H](+) are even-electron species make it very likely that the recorded fragments were not formed directly out of the (protonated) parent ions M(+), [M + H](+) or [M + 2H](+). In the negative mode, none of the recorded spectra contained molecular information. Only signals originating from some characteristic elements of the molecules (F, Cl), the anionic counter ion signal and some low-mass organic ions were detected. A comparative study was made between TOF-S-SIMS, using Ga(+) primary ions, and other mass spectrometric techniques, namely fast atom bombardment (FAB), electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). The measurements showed that MALDI, ESI and FAB all give rise to spectra containing molecular ion signals. ESI and FAB produced M(+) and [M + H](+) signals, originating from the cationic and zwitterionic dyes, in the positive mode and M(-) and [M - H](-) signals of the anionic and zwitterionic dyes in the negative mode. With MALDI, molecular ion signals were measured in both modes for all the dyes. Structural fragment ions were detected for FAB, ESI and MALDI in both the positive and negative modes. Compared with the other techniques, TOF-S-SIMS induced a higher degree of fragmentation.     

Differentiation of diastereomeric conduramine derivatives under electron ionization and chemical ionization mass spectral conditions

Diastereomeric conduramine derivatives, i.e., (1R,2S,3R/S,6S)-6-(N-carbomethoxyamino) 1,2-O-isopropylidenecyclohex-4-ene-1,2,3-triol (1 and 2) and their O-acetyl derivatives (3 and 4), were studied using gas chromatography (GC) with electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI). The EI mass spectra of diastereomeric pairs show consistent differences in the relative abundances of characteristic ions. The EI fragmentation patterns are based on precursor/product ion spectra, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and deuterium labelling. The CI spectra show differences from the EI spectra, and the isobutane/CI spectra are much simpler than the methane/CI spectra. The differences shown in the CI spectra are similar to those shown in the product ion spectra of [M+H](+) ions generated under electrospray ionization (ESI) conditions. Theoretical calculations are performed to understand the observed differences. The differences in the relative stabilities of molecular ions, or protonated molecules at different sites, can explain the observed differences in the spectra.     

Mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric behavior of nitrocatechol glucuronides: A comparison of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and electrospray ionization

The mass spectrometric (MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) behavior of six nitrocatechol-type glucuronides using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) was systematically studied, and the effect of operation parameters on the fragmentations are presented. The positive ion APCI- and ESI-MS spectra showed an intense protonated molecule and the respective negative ion spectra a deprotonated molecule with minimal fragmentation. The main fragment ions in the MS/MS spectra of the protonated and deprotonated molecules were [M + H - Glu]+ and [M - H - Glu]-, respectively, formed by the loss of the glucuronide moiety. The measured limits of detection indicated that ESI is a significantly more efficient ionization method than APCI in the negative and positive ion modes for the compounds studied. MS/MS was found to be less sensitive, but more reliable and simple than MS due to the absence of chemical noise.     

Comparison of Electrospray Ionization and Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Saponins from Alfalfa,Clover, and Mungbeans

The determination of seven saponins in crude plant extracts by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) is described. Distinct protonated and natriated (Na-adduct) molecular ions in ESI-MS spectra readily provide molecular weight information, which can be further verified using clusters of molecular ions. Saponin mixtures can be analyzed by ESIMS on varying the potential difference between the capillary and skimmer in the ESI source to decompose impurities. ESI-MS uses less amount of sample than that required by FAB-MS. ESI-MS does not produce structural information, however. The FAB-MS spectra consist mainly of protonated and deprotonated molecular ions with limited structural information. (-)-FAB-MS is more suitable for analyzing saponin samples than the (+)-FAB-MS.     

From the mobile proton to wandering hydride ion: mechanistic aspects of gas‐phase ion chemistry

Structural characterization of molecular species by mass spectrometry supposes the knowledge of the type of ions generated and the mechanism by which they dissociate. In this context, a need for a rationalization of electrospray ionization(+)(?) mass spectra of small molecules has been recently expressed. Similarly, at the other end of the mass scale, efforts are currently made to interpret the major fragmentation processes of protonated and deprotonated peptides and their reduced forms produced in electron capture or electron transfer experiments. Most fragmentation processes of molecular and pseudo‐molecular ions produced in the ion source of a mass spectrometer may be described by a combination of several key mechanistic steps: simple bond dissociation, formation of ion‐neutral complex intermediates, hydrogen atom, hydride ion or proton migrations and nucleophilic attack. Selected crucial aspects of these elementary reactions, occurring inside positively charged ions, will be recalled and illustrated by examples taken in recent mass spectrometry literature. Emphasis will be given on the protonation process and its consequence in terms of structure and energetic. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The analysis of industrial synthetic polymers by electrospray droplet impact/secondary ion mass spectrometry

Electrospray droplet impact (EDI)/secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a new desorption/ionization technique for mass spectrometry in which highly charged water clusters produced from the atmospheric‐pressure electrospray are accelerated in vacuum by several kV and impact the sample deposited on the metal substrate. In this study, several industrial synthetic polymers, e.g. polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were analyzed by EDI/SIMS mass spectrometry. For higher molecular weight analytes, e.g. PS4000 and PEG4600, EDI/SIMS mass spectra could be obtained when cationization salts are added. For the polymers of lower molecular weights, e.g. PEG300 and PEG600, they could be readily detected as protonated ions without the addition of cationization agents. Anionized PS was also observed in the negative ion mode of operation when acetic acid was added to the charged droplet. Compared to matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), ion signal distribution with lower background signals could be obtained particularly for the low‐molecular weight polymers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Letter: Influence of experimental conditions on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of ferrocenylalkylazoles

Influence of experimental conditions on electrospray/ionization (ESI) mass spectra of ferrocene derivatives FcCHRAz (Fc = eta5-C5H5-Fe-eta5- C5H4; R = H, Az = benzimidazole; R = Ph, Az = 2-methylimidazole) has been investigated. The spectra of all the compounds revealed [M]+*, product of its fragmentation [FcCHR]+ as well as products of ion/molecular interactions (protonated molecule [MH]+, binuclear ion [(FcCHR)2 Az]+, dimeric ion [M2]+* and its protonated form [M2H]+). Relative abundances of these ions appreciably (more than one order) depend on experimental conditions: analyte concentration, temperature of heated capillary, spray voltage, flow rate of mobile phase and polarity of solvents. Established correlations allow the selection of optimum experimental conditions for registration of ESI mass spectra, as required by the application. If an unknown compound is to be identified, it is necessary to operate by using polar solvents, small concentration, low temperature of heated capillary, high spray voltage and flow rates. There are high-intensity binuclear and protonated dimeric ions in mass spectra under other conditions. It can give rise to wrong interpretation of the structure of investigated compound. At the same time, for study of ion-molecular processes by ESI-MS it is necessary to use concentrated samples in non-polar solvents. In this case the dependence of reaction products yields on temperature and flow rate of mobile phase must be investigated.