A 15N labelling, FD and FAB study of ammonia loss from protonated arginine molecules

Abstract

AbstractThe positive ion field desorption (FD) spectrum of arginine taken at the best anode temperature only contains a peak due to [M+H]+ ions. At higher emitter temperatures a considerable amount of fragmentation is induced and the [M+HNH3]+ ions become most abundant. Specific 15N labelling reveals that the eliminated ammonia molecule, exclusively, contains one of the terminal nitrogen atoms of the guanidyl group. This also applies to the ammonia loss from metastably decomposing [M+H]+ ions. The positive ion fast atom bombardment (FAB) spectrum shows more fragmentation than the FD spectrum. In contrast with the FD results, the [M+H]+ ions generated upon FAB with ion lifetimes <10−6 s eliminate both ammonia containing one of the terminal nitrogen atoms of the guanidyl group and ammonia containing the α‐amino group in the ratio of 1.35, as found by 15N labelling. The metastably decomposing [M+H]+ ions, however, eliminate only the former ammonia molecule. In the negative ion FD and FAB spectra no other peak than that corresponding to the [MH]− ion is observed. Some attention has been paid to the thermal degradation of arginine on the basis of a few Curie‐point pyrolysis experiments.