Structural identification of fatty acid methyl esters by collision spectra of their [M H]⁻ species

Abstract

Abstract Negative ion chemical ionization linked to collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) experiments has proved to be an efficient analytical tool in mass spectrometric characterization of fatty acids. The CAD mass‐analysed ion kinetic energy spectra of [M  H] − species, obtained by OH − reaction with a selection of six C 18 fatty acid methyl esters, reveal useful correlations with the original structure of the neutrals, giving evidence of both chain branching and double bond positions.