A metastable ion and collision-induced dissociation study of the (M-C2H4)(center dot+) ion from 3-phenyl-1-bromopropane

The molecular ion of 3-phenyl-1-bromopropane is known to eliminate ethylene containing the methylene groups of positions 1 and 2 following an exchange between the hydrogen atoms from position 1 and the ortho positions of the phenyl ring. During this reaction migration of the bromine atom to some pos ition in the molecular ion must take place. The eventual position to which the bromine atom has migrated has been probed by studying the metastable be haviour and collision-induced dissociation reactions of the (M-C2H4)(.+) io n. From comparison with appropriate reference ions it is found that the (M- C2H4)(.+) ion has the structure of ionized benzyl bromide. The mechanistic implication of this finding is briefly discussed. (Int J Mass Spectrom 188 (1999) 1-6) (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.