INVESTIGATION OF MATRICES FOR FAST-ATOM-BOMBARDMENT MASS-SPECTROMETRYOF FULLERENES

Phthalates (dimethyl, diethyl, dibutyl, diallyl and dinonyl) and p-tol uenesulfonates (methyl and ethyl) have been investigated as matrices f or the fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometric analysis of fullerenes for the first time. Compared with spectra obtained using 3-nitrobenzy l alcohol and 2-nitrophenyl octylether as matrices, the fast-atom bomb ardment mass spectra of fullerenes with the two classes of compounds l isted above as matrices are simple and show no fragment ions or adduct ions of fullernes, and the matrices produce no background interferenc e in the mass range of fullernes.