Mass-Spectrometric Study of Ion—Molecule Reactions of Ethanol and Methanol

Abstract

The ion—molecule chemistry of variously labeled ethanols has been investigated in a single‐stage high‐pressure mass spectrometer at various field strengths and ionizing voltages. The results have been correlated with data obtained from a tandem apparatus having a primary‐beam mass—energy selection capability. The interactions of selected ions have been investigated at low impacting energies with this instrument. Proton transfer and proton transfer followed by dissociation are the major reaction paths observed. The formation of higher‐order aggregates corresponding to solvated proton structures has also been studied at elevated pressures and consectutive ion—molecule chemistry has also been investigated in the tandem instrument. Some related experiments with variously labeled methanols are also reported. A complete analysis of the bimolecular ion—molecule chemistry of ethanol including the stereospecificity of the various reactions is presented.