REACTIONS IN THE MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF 2,4,6-N-TETRANITRO-N-METHYLANILINE (TETRYL)

Despite the presence of the ions at m/z 242 and m/z 243 in the electro n ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra of tetryl, respectively, no such daughter ions were observed in the collision-in duced dissociation spectra of the M+. ion in EI and of the [M + H]+ io n in CI. This supports the thesis that these ions are formed through h ydrolysis of tetryl to N-methylpicramide in the ion source before ioni zation. It was found that the hydrolysis is considerably stronger unde r CI conditions, but can be minimized in EI. The structure of the mole cular ion at m/z 242 in the EI mass spectrum of N-methylpicramide was found to be similar to that of the [MH - NO2]+ ion in the CI mass spec trum of tetryl.