Mass spectrometry of the methyl ethers of isomeric hydroxychlorobiphenyls—potential metabolites of chlorobiphenyls

Abstract

The mass spectra of synthetic methoxychlorobiphenyls have been investigated. These substances are of interest as reference compounds in studies of the metabolism of chlorobiphenyls. Some characteristic fragmentation patterns have been found, useful for differentiation between the 2-, 3- and 4-methoxychlorobiphenyl isomers. Thus, mass spectra of 2-methoxychlorobiphenyls show large fragments at [M – CH3Cl]+., while those of 4-methoxy compounds differ from 3-methoxy isomers by the presence of significant [M – CH3]+ fragments in the former.