Evidence of charge-remote fragmentation in protonated [60]fulleropyrrolidine multi-adducts

•Evidence of charge-remote fragmentation of protonated fullerene derivatives.•ESI-MSn QIT investigation of [60]fulleropyrrolidine multi-adducts.•C60 used as a spacer between charged and neutral ligand.

[60]fulleropyrrolidine derivatives (Prato adducts of C60) with up to three ligands were protonated by electrospray ionization (ESI) and the collision-induced dissociation (CID) behaviour of these ions was studied with a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. The systems under investigation showed distinctly different fragmentation behaviour for the neutral and the protonated ligands regarding both extent of fragmentation and pattern. This provided a means to distinguish reactions at the site of the charge from those occurring remote from it. In fact, evidence of charge-remote fragmentation (CRF) was obtained, with the neutral, charge-remote ligands showing efficient fragmentation and the protonated ligand largely resisting decomposition.

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