Gas phase reactions of VO+ with methyl methacrylates as studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Direct laser ablation of pressed vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) powder in the reaction cell of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer produces VO+ as the only reproducible cation. This ion was reacted with methyl isobutyrate, methyl methacrylate, and methyl methacrylate dimer. Gas phase ion/molecule chemistry reveals that the complexity of the product distribution increases with the number of electron rich sites on the reagent molecule. Two sets of ion products are observed: (a) protonated reagent molecule and its corresponding stable fragment, formed by loss of CH4O, and (b) products containing VO, formed by addition of whole reagent molecules and associated fragments. Products formed an a result of both consecutive and parallel reactions. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments reveal that VO-whole molecule bonds are of a noncovalent nature. (Int J Mass Spectrom 194 (2000) 209-224) (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.