Dimethyl ether chemical ionization mass spectrometry of trichothecene biotoxins

Abstract

Dimethyl ether (DME) chemical ionization mass spectrometry with introduction by direct exposure desorption has been utilized for the characterization of a group of 23 structurally diverse biologically active trichothecene toxins. Both proton adducts and a variety of fragment-molecule adduct ions, notably methoxmethylene adducts [M + CH3OCH2]+, resulting from ion-molecule reactions with the reagent gas, were observed. Fragmentation pathways of the proton adducts were documented by collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments. CID studies of the prominent methoxymethylene adduct ions were also made and were contrasted with those of the corresponding adducts derived from DME-d6 as reagent gas.