Observation of gas-phase molecular dications formed from neutral organics in solution via the controlled-current electrolytic process inherent to electrospray

This article reports the first electrospray (ES) mass spectrometry observation of molecular dications that were formed in solution by sequential one-electron oxidation of the neutral molecules [viz., nickel(II) and cobalt(II) octaethylporphyrin] via the controlled-current electrolytic (CCE) process inherent to electrospray. Dication formation was found to require (1) the addition of electrolyte to the sample solution, which increased the magnitude of the ES current and, therefore, increased the extent of analyte electrolysis in the ES capillary, (2) a relatively low solution flow rate, which increased the electrolysis time (i.e., the time the analyte remained in the capillary), thereby providing more time for the analytes to diffuse to the metal-solution interface and react, and (3) the use of a platinum ES capillary, which, because it is difficult to oxidize, increased the proportion of the faradaic current that might be provided by electrolysis of solution species compared to that proportion available when the typical stainless steel capillary is used. These interpretations of the data are made on the basis of the known characteristics of the CCE process inherent to ES, supplementary data obtained from direct solution-phase observation of the metalloporphyrin redox products formed within the different metal ES capillaries by means of a novel ES ion source, and off-line cyclic voltammetry studies of the metalloporphyrins performed by using platinum and stainless steel working electrodes.