Cf-252 plasma desorption mass spectrometry of quinolinium salts and method of estimation of their intermolecular interactions with phospholipids

Using Cf-252 plasma desorption mass spectrometry, the fragmentation of 1-phenyl-2(p-aminostyryl)quinolinium and 1-phenyl-2(p-aminostyryl)benzo(f)quinolinium derivatives, with various substituents at the amino nitrogen, was studied. With plasma desorption ionization, the fragmentation features of the compounds studied are mainly determined by the nature of the N',N '' substituents. The behaviour of some quinolinium derivatives in the presence of lecithin, a basic component of the phospholipid fraction of cell membranes, was investigated. For the benzo(f)quinolinium derivative, the analysis of changes in the mass spectra indicates a strong interaction between these substances, leading to the formation of a molecular complex stabilized by the interactions of the negatively charged phosphate group of lecithin with the quinolinium quaternary nitrogen and the lecithin quaternary nitrogen with the benzene part of the aminophenyl fragment. The effect of the third aromatic ring of the benzoquinolinium system on complex stabilization is discussed. For the benzoquinolinium derivative with lecithin, the changes in the mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern of the molecule can be used as a sensitive and informative method for the characterization of intermolecular interactions which may result in molecular complex formation. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.