Mass derivatization

Monobasic acids are determined by gas chromatographic analysis of the free acids dibasic acids usually are derivatized by one of several methods prior to chromatographing (176,177). Methyl esters are prepared by treatment of the sample with BF.—methanol, H2SO4—methanol, or tetramethylammonium hydroxide. Gas chromatographic analysis of silylation products also has been used extensively. Liquid chromatographic analysis of free acids or of derivatives also has been used (178). More sophisticated hplc methods have been developed recentiy to meet the needs for trace analyses ia the environment, ia biological fluids, and other sources (179,180). Mass spectral identification of both dibasic and monobasic acids usually is done on gas chromatographicaHy resolved derivatives. 

Liquid Ghromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Increased use of Hquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Ic/ms) for stmctural identification and trace analysis has become apparent. Thermospray Ic/ms has been used to identify by-products in phenyl isocyanate precolumn derivatization reactions (74). Five compounds resulting from the reaction of phenyUsocyanate and the reaction medium were identified two from a reaction between phenyl isocyanate and methanol, two from the reaction between phenyl isocyanate and water, and one from the polymerisation of phenyl isocyanate. There were also two reports of derivatisation to enhance either the response or stmctural information from thermospray Ic/ms for linoleic acid hpoxygenase metabohtes (75) and for cortisol (76). 

Other spectroscopic methods such as infrared (ir), and nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr), circular dichroism (cd), and mass spectrometry (ms) are invaluable tools for identification and stmcture elucidation. Nmr spectroscopy allows for geometric assignment of the carbon—carbon double bonds, as well as relative stereochemistry of ring substituents. These spectroscopic methods coupled with traditional chemical derivatization techniques provide the framework by which new carotenoids are identified and characterized (16,17). 

The recent development and comparative application of modern separation techniques with regard to determination of alkylphosphonic acids and lewisite derivatives have been demonstrated. This report highlights advantages and shortcomings of GC equipped with mass spectrometry detector and HPLC as well as CE with UV-Vis detector. The comparison was made from the sampling point of view and separation/detection ability. The derivatization procedure for GC of main degradation products of nerve agents to determine in water samples was applied. Direct determination of lewisite derivatives by HPLC-UV was shown. Also optimization of indirect determination of alkylphosphonic acids in CE-UV was developed. Finally, the new instrumental development and future trends will be discussed. 

A large number of silylating agents exist for the introduction of the trimethylsilyl group onto a variety of alcohols. In general, the sterically least hindered alcohols are the most readily silylated, but are also the most labile to hydrolysis with either acid or base. Trimethylsilylation is used extensively for the derivatization of most functional groups to increase their volatility for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. 

EC, electrochemical detection Flu, fluorescence detection MS, mass specu-omeu-ic detection pre-Flu, fluorescence detection after pre-column derivatization post-Flu, fluorescence detection after post-column derivatization UV, UV absorbance detection. 

Recently, multidimensional GC has been employed in enantioselective analysis by placing a chiral stationary phase such as a cyclodextrin in the second column. Typically, switching valves are used to heart-cut the appropriate portion of the separation from a non-chiral column into a chiral column. Heil et al. used a dual column system consisting of a non-chiral pre-column (30 m X 0.25 mm X 0.38 p.m, PS-268) and a chiral (30 m X 0.32 mm X 0.64 p.m, heptakis(2,3-di-(9-methyl-6-(9-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-(3-cyclodextrin) (TBDM-CD) analytical column to separate derivatized urinary organic acids that are indicative of metabolic diseases such as short bowel syndrome, phenylketonuria, tyrosinaemia, and others. They used a FID following the pre-column and an ion trap mass-selective detector following the... 

Figure 15.8 Multidimensional GC-MS separation of urinary acids after derivatization with methyl chloroformate (a) pre-column cliromatogram after splitless injection (h) Main-column selected ion monitoring cliromatogram (mass 84) of pyroglutamic acid methyl ester. Adapted from Journal of Chromatography, B 714, M. Heil et ai, Enantioselective multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the analysis of urinary organic acids , pp. 119-126, copyright 1998, with permission from Elsevier Science.

Maximum benefit from Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry will be obtained if the user is aware of the information contained in the book. That is, Part I should be read to gain a practical understanding of GC/MS technology. In Part II, the reader will discover the nature of the material contained in each chapter. GC conditions for separating specific compounds are found under the appropriate chapter headings. The compounds for each GC separation are listed in order of elution, but more important, conditions that are likely to separate similar compound types are shown. Part II also contains information on derivatization, as well as on mass spectral interpretation for derivatized and underivatized compounds. Part III, combined with information from a library search, provides a list of ion masses and neutral losses for interpreting unknown compounds. The appendices in Part IV contain a wealth of information of value to the practice of GC and MS. 

The GC separations, derivatization procedures, mass spectral interpretation, structure correlations, and other information presented in this book were collected or experimentally produced over the length of a 30-year career (F.G.K.) in GC/MS. It has not been possible to reference all sources therefore, in the acknowledgments, we thank those persons whose work has significantly influenced this publication. 

Table 9.1. Retention times and accurate masses for TBDMS derivatized amino acids (separation conditions Chapter 9.1.A)...

E. Sample Mass Spectrum TBDMS Derivatized Amino Acids... 

II. GC Conditions, Derivatization, and Mass Spectral Interpretation of Specific Compound Types 43... 

The book is divided into four parts. Part I, The Fundamentals of GC/MS, includes practical discussions on GC/MS, interpretation of mass spectra, and quantitative GC/MS. Part II, GC Conditions, Derivatization, and Mass Spectral Interpretation of Specific Compound Types, contains chapters for a variety of compounds, such as acids, amines, and common contaminants. Also included are GC conditions, methods for derivatization, and discussions of mass spectral interpretation with examples. Part III, Ions for Determining Unknown Structures, is a correlation of observed masses and neutral losses with suggested structures as an aid to mass spectral interpretation. Part IV, Appendices, contains procedures for derivatization, tips on GC operation, troubleshooting for GC and MS, and other information which are useful to the GC/MS user. Parts I to III also contain references that either provide additional information on a subject or provide information about subjects not covered in this book. 

Summary If the molecular weight is odd, then the compound contains an odd number of nitrogens. Fragment ions observed at even-mass numbers suggests the presence of nitrogen. The loss of ammonia is fairly common in nitrogen compounds and may not indicate exclusively that an amine is present. Chemical derivatization will easily determine if the unknown is a tertiary amine. 

Mizutani and coworkers57a confirmed the presence of polychloro(methylsulfonyl)biphenyls (159-170) as sulfur-containing metabolites of chlorobiphenyls (Cl-BP) in the feces of mice based on both GLC-mass spectrometry and chemical derivatization. In some cases comparison with authentic samples (161 and 162) was also made. When preparing 161 and 162,2,5-dichloro-3-(methylsulfonyl)aniline, 2,5-dichloro-l-iodo-3-(methylsulfonyl)benzene and 2,2, 5,5 -tetrachloro-3,3 -bis(methyl-sulfonyl)biphenyl were also obtained and their four peak El mass spectra reported572. Similar data were given for the corresponding 4-substituted intermediates, which were involved in the preparation of 162. Also 2,4, 5-trichloro-2 -(methylsulfonyl)-biphenyl was prepared and its four peak mass spectra given. Metabolites 163 and 164 were also identified by comparison with the authentic standards. 

Various ionization methods were used to bombard phenol-formaldehyde oligomers in mass spectroscopic analysis. The molecular weights of resole resins were calculated using field desorption mass spectroscopy of acetyl-derivatized samples.74 Phenol acetylation was used to enable quantitative characterization of all molecular fractions by increasing the molecular weights in increments of 42. 

FIG. 17 Ion pair/supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and derivatization gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry (GC-MS). 

One field study on the mass flow of secondary alkanesulfonates was conducted in the Zurich-Glatt municipal wastewater treatment plant [37]. The concentration of alkanesulfonates in samples of raw sewage and primary and secondary effluents was analyzed using the above-described SPE with C18 Empore disks and injection port derivatization with GC-MS detection. The con-... 

There are three main reasons for this choice. Firstly, it becomes more and more difficult to obtain recordable, molecular-ion signals from un-derivatized carbohydrates as their M, increases significantly above 3000. Secondly, the mass spectrometers that have been used in all high-mass-carbofiydrate studies published at the time of writing this article are not capable of very sensitive analysis above —3800 mass units (see later). Thirdly, at masses >4000, it is usually not practicable to work at the resolution necessary for adjacent peaks to appear as separate signals in the spectrum. To do so would require that the source and collector slits be narrowed to such a degree that there would be an unacceptable loss in sensitivity. Thus, spectra acquired at mass >4000 are usually composed of unresolved clusters. 

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