Relationships between Structures and Mass Spectra of Organic Compounds

Abstract

Abstract Our knowledge concerning the relationships between the structure and mass spectra of organic compounds has widened immensely during the past few years. It has become possible to alter the course of fragmentation in the mass spectrometer by changing certain substituents using simple chemical reactions. The fragmentation products formed are then entirely different from those of the starting material. A combination of controlled mass‐spectrometric decomposition with chemical microreactions often permits the solution of complicated structural problems with a minimum expenditure of time and material. One example for the alteration of the fragmentation pattern by a simple chemical reaction is discussed in connection with the elucidation of the structure of pleiocarpamine.