Fragmentation spectrometry

Separation of families by merely increasing the resolution evidently can not be used when the two chemical families have the same molecular formula. This is particularly true for naphthenes and olefins of the formula, C H2 , which also happen to have very similar fragmentation patterns. Resolution of these two molecular types is one of the problems not yet solved by mass spectrometry, despite the efforts of numerous laboratories motivated by the refiner s major interest in being able to make the distinction. Olefins are in fact abundantly present in the products from conversion processes. 

Schlager H and Arnold F 1985 Balloon-borne fragment ion mass spectrometry studies of stratospheric positive ions unambiguous detection of H (CH3CN), (H20)-clusters Pianet. Space Sc/. 33 1363-6... 

Lover T efa/1997 Electrospray mass spectrometry of thiophenolate-capped clusters of CdS, CdSe and ZnS and cadmium and zinc thiophenolate complexes observation of fragmentation and metal, chalcogenide and ligand exchange processes Inorg. Chem. 36 3711... 

The first mass spectrometric investigation of the thiazole ring was done by Clarke et al. (271). Shortly after, Cooks et al., in a study devoted to bicydic aromatic systems, demonstrated the influence of the benzo ring in benzothiazole (272). Since this time, many studies have been devoted to the influence of various types of substitution upon fragmentation schemes and rearrangements, in the case of alkylthiazoles by Buttery (273) arylthiazoles by Aune et al. (276), Rix et al. (277), Khnulnitskii et al. (278) functional derivatives by Salmona el al. (279) and Entenmann (280) and thiazoles isotopically labeled with deuterium and C by Bojesen et al. (113). More recently, Witzhum et al. have detected the presence of simple derivatives of thiazole in food aromas by mass spectrometry (281). 

Although GGMS is the most widely used ana lytical method that combines a chromatographic sep aration with the identification power of mass spectrometry it is not the only one Chemists have coupled mass spectrometers to most of the mstru ments that are used to separate mixtures Perhaps the ultimate is mass spectrometry/mass spectrome try (MS/MS) m which one mass spectrometer gener ates and separates the molecular ions of the components of a mixture and a second mass spec trometer examines their fragmentation patterns ... 

As we have just seen interpreting the fragmentation patterns m a mass spectrum m terms of a molecule s structural units makes mass spectrometry much more than just a tool for determining molecular weights Nevertheless even the molecular weight can provide more information than you might think... 

Section 13 22 Mass spectrometry exploits the information obtained when a molecule is ionized by electron impact and then dissociates to smaller fragments Pos itive ions are separated and detected according to their mass to charge (m/z) ratio By examining the fragments and by knowing how classes of molecules dissociate on electron impact one can deduce the structure of a compound Mass spectrometry is quite sensitive as little as 10 g of compound is sufficient for analysis... 

Mass Spectrometry The molecular ion peak is usually quite small m the mass spec trum of an alcohol A peak corresponding to loss of water is often evident Alcohols also fragment readily by a pathway m which the molecular ion loses an alkyl group from the... 

Mass Spectrometry Aldehydes and ketones typically give a prominent molecular ion peak m their mass spectra Aldehydes also exhibit an M— 1 peak A major fragmentation pathway for both aldehydes and ketones leads to formation of acyl cations (acylium ions) by cleavage of an alkyl group from the carbonyl The most intense peak m the mass spectrum of diethyl ketone for example is m z 57 corresponding to loss of ethyl radi cal from the molecular ion... 

Mass Spectrometry Aside from a peak for the molecular ion which is normally easy to pick out aliphatic carboxylic acids undergo a variety of fragmentation processes The dominant fragmentation m aromatic acids corresponds to loss of OH then loss of CO... 

Amines have odd numbered molecular weights which helps identify them by mass spectrometry Fragmentation tends to be controlled by the formation of a nitrogen stabilized cation... 

Fragmentation pattern (Section 13 22) In mass spectrometry the ions produced by dissociation of the molecular ion... 

Although there has been some controversy concerning the processes involved in field ionization mass spectrometry, the general principles appear to be understood. Firstly, the ionization process itself produces little excess of vibrational and rotational energy in the ions, and, consequently, fragmentation is limited or nonexistent. This ionization process is one of the mild or soft methods available for producing excellent molecular mass information. The initially formed ions are either simple radical cations or radical anions (M ). 

If a sample solution is introduced into the center of the plasma, the constituent molecules are bombarded by the energetic atoms, ions, electrons, and even photons from the plasma itself. Under these vigorous conditions, sample molecules are both ionized and fragmented repeatedly until only their constituent elemental atoms or ions survive. The ions are drawn off into a mass analyzer for measurement of abundances and mJz values. Plasma torches provide a powerful method for introducing and ionizing a wide range of sample types into a mass spectrometer (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP/MS). 

To examine a sample by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) or inductively coupled plasma atomic-emission spectroscopy (ICP/AES) the sample must be transported into the flame of a plasma torch. Once in the flame, sample molecules are literally ripped apart to form ions of their constituent elements. These fragmentation and ionization processes are described in Chapters 6 and 14. To introduce samples into the center of the (plasma) flame, they must be transported there as gases, as finely dispersed droplets of a solution, or as fine particulate matter. The various methods of sample introduction are described here in three parts — A, B, and C Chapters 15, 16, and 17 — to cover gases, solutions (liquids), and solids. Some types of sample inlets are multipurpose and can be used with gases and liquids or with liquids and solids, but others have been designed specifically for only one kind of analysis. However, the principles governing the operation of inlet systems fall into a small number of categories. This chapter discusses specifically substances that are normally liquids at ambient temperatures. This sort of inlet is the commonest in analytical work. 

Metastable ions yield valuable information on fragmentation in mass spectrometry, providing insight into molecular structure. In electron ionization, metastable ions appear naturally along with the much more abundant normal ions. Abundances of metastable ions can be enhanced by collisionally induced decomposition. 

The previous discussion has centered on how to obtain as much molecular mass and chemical structure information as possible from a given sample. However, there are many uses of mass spectrometry where precise isotope ratios are needed and total molecular mass information is unimportant. For accurate measurement of isotope ratio, the sample can be vaporized and then directed into a plasma torch. The sample can be a gas or a solution that is vaporized to form an aerosol, or it can be a solid that is vaporized to an aerosol by laser ablation. Whatever method is used to vaporize the sample, it is then swept into the flame of a plasma torch. Operating at temperatures of about 5000 K and containing large numbers of gas ions and electrons, the plasma completely fragments all substances into ionized atoms within a few milliseconds. The ionized atoms are then passed into a mass analyzer for measurement of their atomic mass and abundance of isotopes. Even intractable substances such as glass, ceramics, rock, and bone can be examined directly by this technique. 

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) produces precise structural or sequence information by selective and specific induced fragmentation on samples up to several thousand Daltons. For samples of greater molecular mass than this, an enzyme digest will usually produce several peptides of molecular mass suitable for sequencing by mass spectrometry. The smaller sequences can be used to deduce the sequence of the whole protein. 

Desorption ionization (DI). General term to encompass the various procedures (e.g., secondary ion mass spectrometry, fast-atom bombardment, californium fission fragment desorption, thermal desorption) in which ions are generated directly from a solid or liquid sample by energy input. Experimental conditions must be clearly stated. 

Mass spectral fragmentation patterns of alkyl and phenyl hydantoins have been investigated by means of labeling techniques (28—30), and similar studies have also been carried out for thiohydantoins (31,32). In all cases, breakdown of the hydantoin ring occurs by a-ftssion at C-4 with concomitant loss of carbon monoxide and an isocyanate molecule. In the case of aryl derivatives, the ease of formation of Ar—NCO is related to the electronic properties of the aryl ring substituents (33). Mass spectrometry has been used for identification of the phenylthiohydantoin derivatives formed from amino acids during peptide sequence determination by the Edman method (34). 

Ideally, a mass spectmm contains a molecular ion, corresponding to the molecular mass of the analyte, as well as stmcturaHy significant fragment ions which allow either the direct deterrnination of stmcture or a comparison to Hbraries of spectra of known compounds. Mass spectrometry (ms) is unique in its abiUty to determine direcdy the molecular mass of a sample. Other techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) and infrared spectroscopy give stmctural information from which the molecular mass may be inferred (see Infrared technology and raman spectroscopy Magnetic spin resonance). 

The combined techniques of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (gc/ms) are highly effective in identifying the composition of various gc peaks. The individual peaks enter a mass spectrometer in which they are analyzed for parent ion and fragmentation patterns, and the individual components of certain resoles are completely resolved. 

---