MASS SPECTROSCOPY

ILLUSTRATION:

Molecular ion peak

[CO ]+
2 = 44

Figure 1.1: Components of a Mass Spectrometer

Fragment Peaks

[C]+ = 12 [O]+ = 16 [CO]+ = 28

 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION:
Production of gas phase ions of the compound, basically by electron
ionization

The ions are then separated in the mass spectrometer according to

their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z), and are detected in proportion to
their abundance

A mass spectrum of the molecule is thus produced

 APPLICATIONS:
Mass spectroscopy can be used in:
Determination of molecular weight
Determination of molecular formula
Determination of isotope abundance
Determination of ion-molecule reactions
Detection of impurity
Identification of unknown compounds
Measurement of ionization potential
ADVANTAGES: DISADVANTAGES:

Reduces background Difficult for non-volatile

interference compounds

Accurate identification of It doesn't directly give

unknowns or confirmation structural information
the presence of suspected about the unknown
compounds compound
Without a molecular ion
peak as a reference, the
difficulty of interpreting a
mass spectrum increases
markedly.