Mass spectra of some organo-lead and organo-mercury compounds

Abstract

\<Iass spectra of letramet hyl and tetraethyl lead and of dimethyl, diet llyl, and di-n-butyl mercury were obtained with a Co nsolidated 21-102 mass sp ec trometer. Monoisotopic spectra were calculated by using the isotopic abundance derived fr om eac h spectrum. A variation in the lead isotope abundance was observed in the commercially available lead a lkyls. No variation was observ ed a mong t he mercury a lkyls and good agreement was obtained with previously published meas ure ments on mer cury vapor . There was no indication of voltage discrimination. The mass spectra of the lead a lky ls are qualitatively similar. The prin cipal por t ion of t he total ionization is contri buted by t he dissociation of one and t hree alkyl gro ups. I ons res ul ting from t he dissociation of one 01' more hydroge n atoms are s ma ll, a s are t he hydro carbon ions. H y drides and hydrocarbon ions res ul t ing from intramolec ula r rearrange ment were observed. The principal par t of total ionization in the mercury a lkyl s pectra was co n tribu ted by h ydro carbon ions. Hydrides and othe r rearrange ment p eaks were observed. A preliminary experi me nt on a leaded gasoli ne, ll s ing a model 21-103 spectrometer, indicated t hat sensitivity is s ufficien t to analyze for a few hundredths of a mole perce n t of t e traethy l lead wit h a precision of abou t 2 p erce n L of t he v alue.