Competitive Deprotonation and Superoxide [O2 -•] Radical-Anion Adduct Formation Reactions of Carboxamides under Negative-Ion Atmospheric-Pressure Helium-Plasma Ionization (HePI) Conditions

Isra Hassan, Spencer Pinto, Carl Weisbecker, Athula B. Attygalle

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Carboxamides bearing an N-H functionality are known to undergo deprotonation under negative-ion-generating mass spectrometric conditions. Herein, we report that N-H bearing carboxamides with acidities lower than that of the hydroperoxyl radical (HO-O) preferentially form superoxide radical-anion (O2 -•) adducts, rather than deprotonate, when they are exposed to the glow discharge of a helium-plasma ionization source. For example, the spectra of N-alkylacetamides show peaks for superoxide radical-anion (O2 -•) adducts. Conversely, more acidic amides, such as N-alkyltrifluoroacetamides, preferentially undergo deprotonation under similar experimental conditions. Upon collisional activation, the O2 -• adducts of N-alkylacetamides either lose the neutral amide or the hydroperoxyl radical (HO-O) to generate the superoxide radical-anion (m/z 32) or the deprotonated amide [m/z (M - H)-], respectively. For somewhat acidic carboxamides, the association between the two entities is weak. Thus, upon mildest collisional activation, the adduct dissociates to eject the superoxide anion. Superoxide-adduct formation results are useful for structure determination purposes because carboxamides devoid of a N-H functionality undergo neither deprotonation nor adduct formation under HePI conditions. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)394-401
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Mar 2016

Keywords

  • Adducts
  • Carboxamides
  • Helium-plasma ionization (HePI)
  • Superoxide radical anion

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