Characterization of diazeniumdiolate nitric oxide donors (NONOates) by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Diazeniumdiolates (also called NONOates) have been analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The samples used are commercially available and included Diethylamine NONOate, DETA NONOate, Spermine NONOate, MAHMA NONOate, PROLI NONOate, Dipropylenetriamine NONOate, PAPA NONOate, and Sulpho NONOate. These compounds have been found to ionize upon ESI by protonation, deprotonation and sodiation. The MS(n) experiments provided strong evidence that such ions release NO, HNO, N(2)O, NO(2), N(2)O(2), N(3)O(3), N(4)O(3) and N(4)O(4) when collisionally activated. Thus, the facile donation of NO units is a property of such compounds. Negative-mode mass spectrometry has been particularly useful for the analysis of most of the NONOates studied here. The experiments have demonstrated the capabilities of mass spectrometry, along with CAD (MS/MS), to detect and characterize such compounds.