Study of the structural ligand effects on the fragmentation pattern of some Schiff base complexes of V (IV), Cu(II) and Ni (II) against the IR laser radiation using Matrix-free LDI-TOF technique

Abstract

In this work, the time of flight (TOF) mass spectra of several Schiff base complexes of V(IV), Ni (II) and Cu(II) were recorded using matrix-free laser desorption-ionization (Direct-LDI) technique at λ = 1064 nm. Two different substrates including simple aluminum foil and its anodized form were used. The change in the mass spectra patterns due to the structural variation of the ligand for the complexes with similar central metal atoms was studied. It was found that specific substitutions in the structure of ligand decrease the fragmentation of the complex against the laser radiation, so that the peak related to the precursor ion appears in the mass spectra. It was also observed that the type of substrate affects the fragmentation pattern of the complexes.