Skeletal rearrangements on chemical ionization of dibenzyl ether and derivatives

Abstract

AbstractProtonated molecular ions of dibenzyl ether, formed by chemical ionization using hydrogen and isobutane as reagent gases, undergo skeletal rearrangements to lose water and formaldehyde, both in the ion source and the flight path. The rearrangements have been elucidated by deuterium labelling and chemical substitution. The water lost contains the reagent proton and an aromatic hydrogen atom, and the aromatic hydrogen atoms have been shown to be mobile prior to the reaction. It is proposed that the skeletal rearrangement for water loss is initiated by protonation on the ether oxygen atom, followed by benzyl migration. The formaldehyde lost contains benzylic hydrogen atoms exclusively, and it is proposed that the skeletal rearrangement is preceded by hydrogen rearrangement of an oxygen protonated molecular ion to a ring protonated molecular ion. Daughter ion structures are supported by comparisons of their collision induced dissociation spectra with those of isomeric ions prepared by alternative routes.