Electrospray mass analysis of chemical oxidation of 1,2-diarylcyclopropanes by Cu(II) salt

Abstract

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to study chemical electron-transfer reactions of 1,2-diarylcyclopropanes by Cu(II) salt in acetonitrile. The ion [M − H] + with a hydrogen atom loss and the solvent adduct ions, [M+42] +, etc., were detected as the initial reaction products, where [M+42] + represents the ion whose mass is 42 u greater than the parent molecule M. From the study of deuterated derivatives, the hydrogen abstraction was revealed to occur at the 3 position of the cyclopropanes, and the mechanism of the hydrogen abstraction reaction and of the solvent addition were discussed.