DIFFERENTIATION OF STEREOCHEMISTRY OF GLYCOSIDIC BOND CONFIGURATION -TANDEM MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF DIASTEREOMERIC COBALT-GLUCOSYL-GLUCOSE DISACCHARIDE COMPLEXES

Configurations of glycosidic linkages (alpha or beta) in a series of 1 ,3-, 1,4-, and 1,6-glucosyl-glucose disaccharides were differentiated by tandem mass spectrometry. Diastereomeric octahedral complexes, [Co3(acac)(2)/disaccharide](+), were generated in situ via fast-atom bomb ardment ionization. Mass-analyzed, ion kinetic energy spectra of the m etastable complexes obtained in the absence of collision gas indicated that the major product ion results from the loss of an acetylacetonat e Ligand, which thus generates the ion [Co+2(acac)/disaccharide](+). K inetic energy release measurements for this dissociation display a con sistently greater value for complexes that possess an alpha-linked dis accharide relative to those that possess beta-Linked disaccharides, re gardless of linkage position.