ELECTROSPRAY TANDEM MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF A NOVEL SERIES OF AMPHIPATHIC FUNCTIONALIZED ETHER-LINKED DISACCHARIDE AND TRISACCHARIDE AND CYCLIC OLIGOSACCHARIDES

Electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS) has aided the structural charact erization of a novel series of amphipathic functionalized ether-linked di- and trisaccharides, composed of units of alkyl derivatives of glu cofuranose and either units of glucofuranose or diacetylgalactose, The structural elucidation of a novel eight-membered macrocyclic ether-li nked disaccharide and an 11-membered macrocyclic ether-linked trisacch aride was also effected using ESMS, Low-energy collision-induced disso ciation MS/MS analysis of the [M + H](+) precursor ions confirmed the characteristic fingerprint patterns obtained in the conventional elect rospray spectra and proved to be a specific and very sensitive method for the detection and characterization of these novel amphipathic mole cules.