Electron-induced ionization of undeuterated and deuterated benzoic acid isopropyl esters and nicotinic acid isopropyl esters: Some implications for the mechanism of the McLafferty rearrangement

Abstract

Electron ionization mass spectra, ionization, and appearance energies and bond energies (as dissociation energies) are reported for benzoic acid-1-methyl-ethyl ester (BAIPE), benzoic acid-1-deutero-1-methyl-ethyl ester (BAIPED1), benzoic acid-2,2,2-trideutero-1-trideuteromethyl-ethyl ester (BAIPED6) as well as nicotinic acid-1-methyl-ethyl ester (NAIPE), nicotinic acid-1-deutero-1-methyl-ethyl ester (NAIPED1), and nicotinic acid-2,2,2-trideutero-1-trideuteromethyl-ethyl ester (NAIPED6). Ionization energies of 9.39 eV for BAIPE, 9.40 eV for BAIPED1, 9.26 eV for BAIPED6 as well as 9.70 eV for NAIPE, 9.79 eV for NAIPED1, and 9.65 eV for NAIPED6 were determined. A gas-phase formation enthalpy of ΔH0f= (−4.10 ± 0.1) eV for BAIPE is calculated as well as ΔH0f = (−3.35 ± 0.1) eV for NAIPE. Molecular ions show two main fragmentation pathways. The first is a classical McLafferty rearrangement, characterized by the transfer of one γ-hydrogen atom from the isopropyl ester chain leading to the ions of the corresponding acid and neutral propene. The second is the double hydrogen transfer from the ester chain leading to the formation of the protonated acid and a C3H5√ allyl radical. For BAIPE, both hydrogen atoms originate from the methyl groups of the aliphatic chain with a probability of ≥98%, whereas the C-1-hydrogen is transferred with a probability of ≤2%. For NAIPE, both hydrogen atoms originate from the methyl groups of the aliphatic chain with a probability of 90%. Experimental proton affinities of PA = (8.75 ± 0.2) eV for benzoic acid and PA = (8.43 ± 0.2) eV for nicotinic acid are derived. For the protonation of the carbonyl group, B3LYP DFT calculations yielded PA = 8.66 eV for benzoic acid and PA = 8.41 eV for nicotinic acid. The overall fragmentation mechanism is explained with the initial formation of a 1,5-distonic ion by transfer of the first hydrogen. For the transfer of the second hydrogen, an intermediate ion/neutral complex is formulated.