Generation and collision-induced dissociation of ammonium tetrafluoroborate cluster ions

No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Dain, Ryan P.
Van Stipdonk, Michael J.
Advisors
Issue Date
2008-07-01
Type
Article
Keywords
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM. 2008 Jul; 22(13): 2044-52.
Abstract

Singly and doubly charged cluster ions of ammonium tetrafluoroborate (NH4BF4) with general formula [(NH4BF4)nNH4]+ and [(NH4BF4)m(NH4)2]2+, respectively, were generated by electrospray ionization (ESI) and their fragmentation examined using collision-induced dissociation (CID) and ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry. CID of [(NH4BF4)nNH4]+ caused the loss of one or more neutral NH4BF4 units. The n = 2 cluster, [(NH4BF4)2NH4]+, was unique in that it also exhibited a dissociation pathway in which HBF4 was eliminated to create [(NH4BF4)(NH3)NH4]+. Dissociation of [(NH4BF4)m(NH4)2]2+ occurred through two general pathways: (a) 'fission' to produce singly charged cluster ions and (b) elimination of one or more neutral NH4BF4 units to leave doubly charged product ions. CID profiles, and measurements of changing precursor and product ion signal intensity as a function of applied collision voltage, were collected for [(NH4BF4)nNH4]+ and compared with those for analogous [(NaBF4)nNa]+ and [(KBF4)nK]+ ions to determine the influence of the cation on the relative stability of cluster ions. In general, the [(NH4BF4)nNH4]+ clusters were found to be easier to dissociate than both the sodium and potassium clusters of comparable size, with [(KBF4)nK]+ ions the most difficult to dissociate.

Table of Contents
Description
Click on the DOI link below to access the article (may not be free).
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Journal
Book Title
Series
Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom.
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0951-4198
EISSN