Chapter G, Problem G.1YT

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Whether the fragmentation shown here is more likely to produce a mass peak at $\text{m/z=43}$ or $\text{m/z=57}$ is to be determined and explained.

Concept introduction:

The ${\text{M}}^{\text{+}}$ peak of a mass spectrum is taken to be the compound’s molecular mass. The ratio of the M+1 peak intensity to the ${\text{M}}^{\text{+}}$ peak intensity increases as the number of carbon atoms in the molecule increases. In general, a fragmentation pathway becomes more likely as the stability of the fragment ion produced increases. The molecular ion is produced by the loss of an electron from one of the many sigma bonds; the molecular ion is ambiguously represented by placing square brackets around the parent molecule, along with a dot and a positive charge to indicate a radical cation.