Adduct formation in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry II. Benzoic acid derivatives

This work serves as a follow-up to Part I of experiments designed to determine the underlying principles in the formation of pseudomolecular, or adduct, ions during electrospray ionization. Aromatic acids were studied by flow injection analysis in the negative ionization mode of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Part I dealt with common acidic anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals. such as ibuprofen and related analogues. Part II deals with functionally less complex molecules, namely benzoic acid (BA) and substituted benzoic acids. Halide-substituted molecules are investigated to deduce the effect of electron-withdrawing substituents (bromo-, chloro-, and fluoro-) and ring position (ortho-, meta- and para-) on the response of a traditional deprotonated molecular ion ([M-H]-) and a sodium-bridged dimer ion ([2M-2 H+Na]-). Amino-substituted benzoic acids are also analyzed in order to study the effect of an additional ionizable group on the molecule, and para-tert.-butyl-BA is analyzed to study the effect of increased hydrophobicity, as they relate to the formation of pseudomolecular ions. This study shows that solution character [octanol-water partition coefficient (or log P) and pKa] of the model compounds controls the relative efficiency of formation of [M-H]- and [2M-2H+Na]- ions. However the relative gas phase character (gas phase basicity and proton affinity) also has a significant effect on the formation of the sodium-bridged dimer ion. For the halide-substituted species, placement of the electron-withdrawing atom at the meta-position gives the greatest enhancement in sensitivity. Observations also show that as the structural complexity of the model compound increases, predictions relating analyte acidity to sodium-bridged dimer ion formation give way to a stronger dependence between log P values and ionization efficiency. Supporting this hypothesis is the nearly ten-fold enhancement in signal for tert.-butyl BA relative to BA. due to the greater hydrophobicity, and consequently, increased surface activity in an electrosprayed droplet of the analyte molecule.     

Synthesis of siloxane stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

A comparison is made between dichlorosilanes and cyclic siloxanes as starting materials in the synthesis of stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography (CGC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Siloxanes containing one or more of the side groups methyl, vinyl, phenyl, and cyanoethyl in various ratios were synthesized and compared. These phases were characterized by chromatographic (gel permeation, GPC), spectroscopic (IR, ¹H NMR, ²⁹Si NMR), and thermal (DSC) methods. Coated fused silica columns were evaluated with respect to polarity, crosslinkability with several free-radical initiators, and thermal stability. A new liquid phase, 7% cyanoethyl, 7% phenyl, 1% vinyl methyl polysiloxane is shown to be more polar than OV-1701, more temperature stable, easily crosslinked and suitable for use in supercritical fluid chromatography.     

Nuclear quantum effects in calculated NMR shieldings of benzene; a Feynman path integral study

The Feynman path integral Monte Carlo approach has been coupled to the gauge including atomic orbital formalism in order to analyse the absolute magnetic shieldings of the benzene nuclei under the conditions of thermal equilibrium. The Hamiltonian employed in the derivation of ensemble averaged NMR quantities is of the Hartree-Fock type. The basis set used is of 6–31G quality. The spatial delocalization of the atoms leads to a deshielding of both types of benzene nuclei relative to the shieldings experienced at the minimum of the potential energy surface. This deshielding has to be traced back to bond length elongations in thermal equilibrium. The influence of the nuclear fluctuations on the NMR parameters of benzene is quantum driven up to temperatures of 400 K; classical fluctuations are of minor importance in this low-temperature window.     

Hydrothermal treatment of fused silica capillary columns

The activity of fused silica capillary tubing has been shown to vary considerably, which severely influences the reproducibility of column deactivation and inertness. Methods for producing a reproducible, high activity surface with maximum hydroxylation by various hydrothermal treatments were evaluated. Columns pretreated with 20% nitric acid at 200°C for 10 hours, deactivated with D₄, coated with OV-73, and crosslinked with azo-tert-butane were found to possess excellent inertness for sensitive analytes such as alcohols, amines, and alkaloid drugs.