Interaction of the trimethylsilyl cation with molecules of aliphatic nitro compounds in the gas phase

Interaction of mononitroalkanes with the trimethylsilyl cation in the gas phase under chemical ionization (CI) conditions results in the formation of M+SiMe₃]⁺ ions, which are more stable than the corresponding protonated molecular ions. In the case of 2-nitro-2-methylpropane and 2-nitropentane, fragmentation of the M+SiMe₃]⁺ ions occurs with the formation of C₄H₉ ⁺ and C₅H₁₁ ⁺ carbocations, respectively. In the case of 1,1-dinitroethane and 1-halo-1,1-dinitroethane, fragmentation of the M+SiMe₃]⁺ ions occurs with splitting off of a NO₂ ^. radical or an XNO₂ molecule (X=H, F, or Cl). Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1232–1234, June, 1997.