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Mass spectrometry of polycyclic tetracarboxylic ('ARN') acids and tetramethyl esters
Author(s) -
Sutton Paul A.,
Smith Benjamin E.,
Rowland Steven J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.4761
Subject(s) - chemistry , mass spectrometry , ion , electrospray ionization , mass spectrum , electrospray , atmospheric pressure chemical ionization , electron ionization , ionization , chemical ionization , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , organic chemistry
Polycyclic C 80 tetracarboxylic (so‐called ‘ARN’) acids are found as calcium salts in deposits which form in certain oilfield pipelines and equipment. Characterisation of these acids is important for improving the prediction and hence avoidance or minimisation of oilfield deposition problems. Although several of the acids have been isolated and characterised (as regioisomeric mixtures) by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometric methods are likely to be much more useful for the routine analysis of oils and deposits containing the acids. A publication summarising the mass spectra of the purified acids and major derivatives might thus be a very useful source of reference for scientists and technologists studying these unusual compounds. We now report the characterisation of several of the purified acids and of the tetramethyl esters by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) in both positive ion and negative ion modes, by multistage ESI‐MS with a suggested rationalisation of the ions produced, by positive ion atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP) atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), and by positive ion electron ionisation (EI)‐MS. Tentative identifications of C 80 acyclic, mono‐, bi‐ and tricylic tetraacids and the δ 13 C isotope values of a mixture of the semi‐pure acids determined by MS are also reported for the first time. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.