Liquid chromatography thermospray mass spectrometry of mustard and its metabolites

There is considerable interest in the detection and analysis of chemical warfare agents. Since thermospray provides soft ionization and interesting fragmentation patterns under discharge conditions, the liquid chromatographic/thermospray mass spectrometric behavior of bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide and its metabolites was investigated, All of the metabolites except mustard sulfone and thiodiglycol sulfone indicated the presence of a three-membered cyclic sulfonium ion intermediate or its equivalent in their mass spectra, Other observed reactions of the above substrates include polymerizations and nucleophilic substitution reactions.