The electron-impact induced loss of water from meconine and related derivatives

The mass spectrum of meconine (I), a constituent of raw opium, exhibits several anomalous features (e.g. pronounced loss of H₂O from the molecular ion) which are not readily explicable in terms of simple fragmentation processes. The study of the low resolution mass spectrum of meconine and its derivatives in conjunction with deuterium labeling experiments has indicated a highly specific fragmentation mechanism in which both hydrogen atoms eliminated as H₂O originate from the methoxy function ortho to the lactone carbonyl group in meconine.