CHARGE-REMOTE FRAGMENTATION IN DIALKYLAMINOSTYRYL DYES

Dialkylaminostyryl probes with two long alkyl chains were used to inve stigate the energetics of charge-remote fragmentation (CRF), These com pounds provide high-quality liquid secondary ion (LSI) and electrospra y ionization (ESI) mass spectra in which the intact cation predominate s. The intact cation undergoes CRF in LSI but not in ESI, in which the cation is of lower internal energy. CRF is initiated in collision-ind uced dissociation (CID) and surface-induced dissociation (SID) for int act cations generated by either LSI or ESI. Single bond cleavage to lo se one entire alkyl chain followed by CRF within the remaining alkyl c hain seems to be the lowest energy CID and SID process. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.