Electrospray ionization multistage tandem mass spectrometry of penta- and hexa-substituted aryloxycyclotriphosphazenes

Several penta- and hexa-substituted aryloxycyclotriphosphazenes were synthesized and investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn). Their main fragmentation pathways are proposed based on the MSn and accurate mass data. An apparent hydrolysis reaction is an important fragmentation process exhibited in the ESI-MS/MS spectra for all of them. Also interesting is the intramolecular electrocyclic ring closure observed in ESI-MS/MS spectra of them. These observations may have some potential applications in the distinction between the mass spectra of penta- and hexa-substituted hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene derivatives.

Graphical abstractIn the ESI-MS3 of penta- and hexa-substituted aryloxycyclotriphosphazenes, an apparent hydrolysis reaction is an important fragmentation process and also discovered is an interesting fragment mechanism, intramolecular electrocyclic ring closure.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide