Mass Spectrometry of Heterocyclic Compounds

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the mass spectrometry of heterocyclic compounds. Heterocyclic compounds contain hetero atoms and very often aromatic systems; therefore, the conditions for the production of characteristic mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns for this reason mass spectrometry have become especially valuable for structural investigations in this class of compounds. The spectra of unsubstituted heterocyclic compounds are characterized by very intense peaks of the molecular ions. The chapter explains the mass spectra of simple heterocyclic molecules including oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, and borazoles. The mass spectra of columbin and some closely related compounds are discussed in the chapter. Mass spectrometry has been very successfully applied to alkaloids, especially those of the indole and indoline series. The mass spectrum of a mixture is the sum of the intensity contributions of the individual compounds; the spectrum of one compound of this mixture does not influence the spectrum of another.