GC/MS analysis of some long chain esters, ketones and propanediol diesters

Abstract

Abstract Identification of radiolysis products which are formed in lipids in the range of molecular weights from 400‐600 has been established on the basis of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) studies of long chain authentic samples of alkyl esters, ketones and propanediol diesters. This paper describes the GC/MS behavior of these compounds. Double hydrogen rearrangement was found to be the predominant ion in the spectrum of long chain saturated esters whereas in the unsaturated esters, a peak corresponding to the loss of alcohol from the molecular ion was more pronounced. On the contrary to short chain ketones, McLafferty rearrangement did not appear to be the major fragmentation in the spectrum of saturated and unsaturated long chain ketones. α‐Cleavage was found to be the predominant fragmentation in the spectrum of these ketones. The “McLafferty + 1” rearrangement peak was more pronounced for the long chain ketones than those found in the spectrum of smaller ketones. Fragmentation patterns of propanediol diesters were shown to be similar to those in triglycerides, giving rise to predominant peaks corresponding to acylium ion [RCO] + and parent minus acyloxy ion [R‐COO] + .