TY - JOUR
T1 - Circumambulatory movement of negative charge ("ring walk") during gas-phase dissociation of 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoate anion
AU - Herath, Kithsiri B.
AU - Weisbecker, Carl S.
AU - Singh, Sheo B.
AU - Attygalle, Athula B.
PY - 2014/5/16
Y1 - 2014/5/16
N2 - A dramatic "ortho effect" was observed during gas-phase dissociation of ortho-, meta-, and para-methoxybenzoate anions. Upon activation under mass spectrometric collisional activation conditions, anions generated from all three isomers undergo a CO2 loss. Of the m/z 107 ions generated in this way, only the 1-dehydro-2-methoxybenzene anion from the ortho isomer underwent an exclusive formaldehyde loss. A peak for a formaldehyde loss in the spectra of 2,4-, 2,5-, and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoates and the absence of an analogous peak from 3,4- and 3,5-dimethoxy derivatives confirmed that this is a diagnostically useful ortho-isomer-specific phenomenon. Moreover, the spectrum from 2,3-dimethoxybenzoic acid showed peaks for two consecutive formaldehyde losses. The 1-dehydro-2,3,4-trimethoxybenzene anion (m/z 167) generated from 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoate in this way endures three consecutive eliminations of formaldehyde units. For this, the negative charge, initially located on position 1, circumambulates to position 2, then to position 3, and finally to position 4 to form the final phenyl anion. The proposed stepwise fragmentation pathway, which resembles the well-known E1cB-elimination mechanism, is supported by tandem mass spectrometric observations made with 2-[13C 2H3]methoxy-3-[13C]methoxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid, and ab initio calculations. In addition, the spectra of ions such as 1-dehydro-3,4-dimethoxybenzene anion show peaks for consecutive methyl radical losses, a feature that establishes the 1,2-relationship between the two methoxy groups.
AB - A dramatic "ortho effect" was observed during gas-phase dissociation of ortho-, meta-, and para-methoxybenzoate anions. Upon activation under mass spectrometric collisional activation conditions, anions generated from all three isomers undergo a CO2 loss. Of the m/z 107 ions generated in this way, only the 1-dehydro-2-methoxybenzene anion from the ortho isomer underwent an exclusive formaldehyde loss. A peak for a formaldehyde loss in the spectra of 2,4-, 2,5-, and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoates and the absence of an analogous peak from 3,4- and 3,5-dimethoxy derivatives confirmed that this is a diagnostically useful ortho-isomer-specific phenomenon. Moreover, the spectrum from 2,3-dimethoxybenzoic acid showed peaks for two consecutive formaldehyde losses. The 1-dehydro-2,3,4-trimethoxybenzene anion (m/z 167) generated from 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoate in this way endures three consecutive eliminations of formaldehyde units. For this, the negative charge, initially located on position 1, circumambulates to position 2, then to position 3, and finally to position 4 to form the final phenyl anion. The proposed stepwise fragmentation pathway, which resembles the well-known E1cB-elimination mechanism, is supported by tandem mass spectrometric observations made with 2-[13C 2H3]methoxy-3-[13C]methoxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid, and ab initio calculations. In addition, the spectra of ions such as 1-dehydro-3,4-dimethoxybenzene anion show peaks for consecutive methyl radical losses, a feature that establishes the 1,2-relationship between the two methoxy groups.
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U2 - 10.1021/jo500234w
DO - 10.1021/jo500234w
M3 - Article
C2 - 24749904
AN - SCOPUS:84900865386
SN - 0022-3263
VL - 79
SP - 4378
EP - 4389
JO - Journal of Organic Chemistry
JF - Journal of Organic Chemistry
IS - 10
ER -