An electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric study of the gas-phase stabilities and fragmentation of N-alkylammonium resorcarenes

Five N-alkylated ammonium resorcarene derivatives, differing either in the nitrogen atom or in the lower rim alkyl chain, were studied using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The main purpose was to clarify the fragmentation and the relative stabilities of the protonated molecules by collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments. The results indicate that fragmentation of the upper rim alkyl amino substituents at the 2-position occurs readily. Variation in the gas-phase stabilities of these molecules was also observed. In addition, the proposed fragmentation pathways are depicted.