Stereochemical effects in electron impact mass spectra of cis-trans isomeric 1,2,4,5-tetramethylcyclohexanes

The mass spectrometric fragmentation of the five cis-trans isomeric 1,2,4,5-tetramethylcyclohexanes is influenced by their configuration. The thermochemically stable isomers show a higher abundance of the [M? CH₃]⁺ ions and a lower abundance of the [M? C₂H₅]⁺ ions than the strained isomers. The [M? CH₃]⁺/[M? C₂H₅]⁺ intensity ratio correlates with the enthalpy difference ΔH_isom and with the mean number of gauche arrangements Z_g^I of the stereoisomers.