HYDROXYL ANION CHEMICAL IONIZATION SCREENING OF LIQUID FUELS

The use of OH as a reagent ion for chemical ionization screening of the aromatic components In liquid fuels Is discussed. The hydroxyl anions were generated by the reactions of O-, from N2O, with hexane, which also served as the solvent for the fuel samples. The resulting mass spectra were characterized by the absence of measurable signals from aliphatic components. The method requires no prior fractionation or separation, as well as a 2-3 minute turn-around time between successive analyses. Some preliminary data pertinent to determinations of actual molecular weight distributions by this technique are also presented. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.