MASS-SPECTRAL CHARACTERIZATION OF OLIGOMERIC POLYSULFIDES BY ELECTROSPRAY-IONIZATION COMBINED WITH COLLISION-INDUCED DECOMPOSITION

Polysulfide oligomers H(SC2H4OCH2OC2H4S)(n)H with n=1-24 can be charac terized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Samples prepared by the conventional method are shown to contain up to eight series of oligomers differing in structure by one of a small group of variants in one (or sometimes two) of the repeat units, e.g. with one less S at om or an additional CH2O group. The composition of individual ions can be confirmed by collision-induced decomposition of cationized polysul fides, which yields unambiguous spectra of the fragmented ions.