Mass Spectrometry of Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds

Abstract

Mass spectrometry (MS) is just one of many powerful instrumental techniques that is available to the inorganic, coordination or organometallic chemist. When we set out to write this book, our principal aim was to make it understandable by a typical inorganic or organometallic chemist who might use mass spectrometry, but who is by no means an expert in the field. Our own scientific backgrounds – as synthetic chemists who have discovered the power of mass spectrometry techniques for studying inorganic systems– are in accord with this philosophy. Mass spectrometry applied to the analysis of inorganic substances has a long and fruitful history. However, relatively recent developments in ionisation techniques have placed two of these – MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation) and especially ESI (Electrospray Ionisation) – at the forefront of the pack. These are extremely powerful, soft ionisation methods that provide valuable mass spectrometric information to the chemist. Furthermore, the gentle nature of these ionisation techniques often results in spectra that can be easily analysed by chemists, as opposed to experts in mass spectrometry, as was often the case with harsher ionisation methods. Coupled with major advances in instrument robustness, automation, computer hardware, operating software and ease of operation and maintenance, such instrumentation is becoming widely used by inorganic chemists worldwide. We therefore felt that a textbook describing the mass spectrometric characterisation of inorganic and organometallic compounds was timely. Many excellent textbooks and review articles cover the principles behind the various ionisation techniques and their applications, which are dominated by organic and biochemical systems. Readers wanting more detailed expositions on the finer points of mass spectrometry are encouraged to consult these texts. This book is roughly divided into two main sections. In the first half of the book (Chapters 1 to 3), the basic principles of operation of various types of mass spectrometry systems are included, with an emphasis on mass analysers and ionisation techniques. Again, this has been written with the chemist in mind, so the treatment is primarily descriptive rather than mathematical. Also included are fundamental aspects such as resolution, data presentation methods and the use of isotope information. We have tried, where possible, to provide helpful suggestions for practical use, in the form of end-ofsection summaries. The second half of the book (Chapters 4 to 7) describes the applications of just one ionisation technique – electrospray – that without doubt is the most versatile and widely used mass spectrometry technique for the characterisation of inorganic and organometallic compounds today. The material is divided into chapters according to the type of compound, for example, coordination compounds (Chapter 5) and transition metal organometallic compounds (Chapter 7). In these chapters we have endeavoured to discuss the behaviour patterns of the various classes of compounds, such that the reader will be able to successfully apply modern mass spectrometry techniques to their own area of chemistry. Finally, Chapter 8 discusses some ‘Special Topics’ involving the application of modern mass spectrometry techniques in imaginative ways to particular inorganic and organometallic systems