STRUCTURAL-ANALYSIS OF DERIVATIZED OLIGOSACCHARIDES USING POST-SOURCEDECAY MATRIX-ASSISTED LASER-DESORPTION IONIZATION MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Structural information on oligosaccharides was obtained by post-source decay matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. A systematic study of derivatized oligosaccharides showed that product s relatively aminated with benzylamine allow the formation of [M + H]( +) molecular species. Metastable protonated species decompose in the f ield-free region (post-source decay) to yield predictable and reproduc ible fragmentation patterns. Information on sugar sequence and branchi ng can be derived from such mass spectra.