Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of a 6-O-methylglucose polysaccharide

Abstract

Fast atom bombardment mass spectra of a 6-O-methylglucose polysaccharide of molecular weight 2852 dalton are described. Fragmentation pathways in both positive and negative modes are defined. The presence of cationized sequence ions in the positive spectra is confirmed by salt dosing experiments. Positive spectra obtained using monothioglycerol as the supporting matrix are compared with data obtained using glycerol. The potential importance of three dimensional structure in controlling the fragmentation behaviour of large molecules under FAB conditions is discussed.