Structural characterization of 1,3,4‐thiadiazolo[3,2‐ a ][1,3,5]triazines by electron impact mass spectrometry

The electron‐impact‐induced fragmentation of eleven 1,3,4‐thiadiazolo[3,2‐ a ][1,3,5]triazines was investigated with the aid of exact mass measurements, B/E and B 2 /E linked scans, and deuterated compounds. The dominating breakdown process in the electron impact mass spectra of 2‐substituted 6‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazolo[3,2‐ a ]‐[1,3,5]triazine‐5,7‐diones (1–5) is a retro‐Diels‐Alder reaction. This process gives rise to the base peak, whereas the molecular ions are of very low intensity. In the mass spectra of 2‐substituted 7‐methylthio‐1,3,4‐thiadiazolo‐[3,2‐ a ][1,3,5]triazine‐5‐ones (6–11) in which this fragmentation cannot occur because of the two conjugated double bonds in the triazine ring, the molecular ions are very intense. The mass spectral data permits an unequivocal structure assignment to these compounds, which are otherwise difficult to characterize.