Studies in organic mass spectrometry. XXII–Evidence for the existence of cyclic oxonium ions in the gas phase

The electron impact induced loss of a phenoxy radical from the molecular ions of α,ω-bis-aryloxy alkanes ΦO(CH₂)_nOΦ ( 1 _n; n = 2–7) and F-p-C₆H₄(CH₂)_nOΦ(2_n; n = 2?5) is the result of functional group interaction. Labelling data provide conclusive evidence for the O-aryl tetra-hydrofuranium and O-aryl tetrahydropyranium structures of the resulting decomposing species (lifetimes between 10^?6 and 10^?5 s) in the case of n = 4 and 5, respectively. Evidence is presented for the occurrence of phenyl participation in the loss of ΦOH from the molecular ions of the lower homologues of 1 _n and 2_n (n = 2, 3).