CONSEQUENCES OF CHARGE REVERSAL IN GASEOUS ALKOXIDE IONS - OXENIUM IONS

Positive-ion collision-induced decomposition (CID) mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectra of alkoxide anions were compared with the CID MIKE spectra of CH2=OH+, CH3CH=OH+, CH3OCH2+, (CH3)2CHOH+, CH3(CH2)2OH+, C2H5OCH2+, and CH3CH=OCH3+, which were previously identified as the major stable forms of CH3O+, C2H5O+, and C3H7O+. The ions forftned on charge reversal of methoxide, ethoxide, n-propoxide, and isopropoxide are not the same as the previously established stable positive ions. If these CID reactions are fast as previously claimed, there should be minimal rearrangement and the new ions are members of a series with electron-deficient oxygen, oxenium ions, analogous to carbenes and nitrenes. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.