GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF PERFLUOROACYL DERIVATIVES OF ALKANE THIOLS

The electron-impact mass spectra of trifluoroacetyl, pentafluoropropio nyl, heptafluorobutyryl, and perfluoropentanoyl derivatives of lower C -1-C-6 alkane thiols are studied for the first time, and fragmentation patterns are determined. It is shown that thiols are easily identifie d by a series of characteristic peaks of derivative ions, which point to the nature of both the functional group and the alkyl and perfluoro alkyl radicals. Thiols were determined in solutions with concentration s of 10(-1)-10(-5) mg/mL as alkane thiol esters of perfluorovaleric ac id with the use of selective scanning of the fragments with m/z 131 [C 3F5](+) and m/z 219 [C4F9](+). The proposed method can be used to anal yze complex natural samples containing thiols in low concentrations.