Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry technique

Recent experimental developments in coupling IR spectroscopy techniques with mass spectrometry, which allow the structural characterization of isolated and microsolvated protonated aromatic molecules in the gas phase have been summarized.64 Hydrogen-deuterium exchange has been observed at Ha in (59) and some closely related substrates when this ligand is complexed to Cu1 in [2Hg]acetone.65 The process is finely controlled by the precise coordination distance required to form agostic interaction between Cu(I) and the C-H bond and is believed to involve the enol form of [2H6]acetone and a reversible Cu(I) to Cu(III) interconversion. 

Mass spectrometry is an ensemble averaging technique, where data from multiple individual pro-tein/peptide molecules in the gas phase are averaged to give a final mass spectral envelope. This characteristic envelope reflects the natural abundance of heavy isotopes, mostly carbon ( C) and nitrogen C N). In hydrogen exchange experiments, deuterium labeling leads to an increase in mass... 

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