SECONDARY-ION MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF GLYCOSYLATED PORPHYRINS

Solid secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has been used to study a series of acetylated precursors of glycosylated porphyrins in the cour se of their synthesis. Characteristic positive and negative spectra ha ve been readily obtained for all the compounds up to more than 2000 Da . In addition to the protonated or deprotonated molecules, fragment io ns arising from cleavages between the oxygen atom of the ether bond an d the acetylated sugar units were observed; these fragments were more abundant in the negative spectra. The solid SIMS spectra are not compl icated by chemical noise or chemical reactions occuring in the presenc e of a matrix which makes the method well suited for rapid screening d uring synthesis.