Isomerisation of hydrocarbon ions III–[C8H8]+·, [C8H8]2+, [C6H6]+· AND [C6H5]+ IONS

Collisional activation spectra of [C₈H₈]⁺·, [C₈H₈]²⁺, [C₆H₆]⁺· and [C₆H₅]⁺ ions from fifteen different sources are reported. Decomposing [C₈H₈]⁺· ions of ten of these precursors isomerise to a mixture of mainly the cyclooctatetraene and, to a smaller extent, the styrene structure. Three additional structures are observed with [C₈H₈]⁺· ions from the remaining precursors. [C₈H₈]^2+., [C₈H₈]⁺·, [C₆H₆]⁺· and [C₆H₅]⁺· ions mostly decompose from common structures although some exceptions are reported.