Probing Reactivity of Microsolvated Cluster Ions

Recently, O Harr also modified a 3D quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI ion source as a complete chemical laboratory for fundamental gas-phase studies of metal-mediated chemistry. Resolving to the multistage capabilities of the quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer for collision-induced dissociation and ion/molecule reactions, metal-mediated chemistry relevant to catalysis, C C bond coupling, bioinorganic, and supramolecular chemistry were examined [310]. 

An early example of an ion/molecule reaction carried out in an atmospheric-pressure capillary inlet reactor based on an ESI interface to a quadrupole mass spectrometer involved the study of proton transfer between amines and multiply protonated proteins by Smith (333, 334]. Smith also observed protonated adenosine 5 -monophosphate (AMP) as the product of charge inversion in the reaction of [AMP-H] with multiply harged positive macroions using merged gas streams at near-atmospheric pressure 335j. In addition, the formation of TNT Meisenheimer complex (336) and the interaction between piperidine and multiply-charged lysozyme ions generated by electrosonic spray ionization (ESSI) [337] under atmospheric pressure has been reported. Eberlin reactions (i.e., the gas-phase transacetalization reaction) of acylium ions have also been observed to occur at atmospheric pressure under in-source ion/molecule reaction conditions [338]. 

---