FOURIER-TRANSFORM ION-CYCLOTRON RESONANCE STUDIES OF TERPYRIDINE-BASED POLYETHER DENDRIMERS AND THEIR IRON(II) METALLOCOMPLEXES BY LIQUID SECONDARY-ION MASS-SPECTROMETRY

A detailed analysis is presented of the fragmentation patterns of a se ries of terpyridine-based polyether dendritic ligands (L) and their co rresponding iron(II) complexes [Fe(L)(2)][PF6](2) recorded under typic al liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (L-SIMS) conditions. Fragmen tation behaviour of these compounds is characterised and is well-corre lated to their structural features. In addition to the unexpected redu ction phenomenon of the iron(II) metal centre, there also exists a hig h-order of multiple charging for both the free dendritic ligands and t he corresponding metallodendrimers. Molecule-ions with up to ten charg es have been observed for metallodendrimers. From the comparison of ma ss spectral features of the free dendritic ligands and the correspondi ng metallodendrimers, it is concluded that the observed high-order of multiple charging originates from the multiple loss of electrons from the terpyridine core of the molecules.