Investigation of 1,1′-disubstituted 4,4′-bipyridinium salts by various mass spectrometry techniques

The mass spectrometric behavior of symmetrically disubstituted 4,4′-bipyridinium salts under electron ionization (EI), electrospray ionization (ESI), direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization, and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization (MALDI) has been investigated. Electron ionization spectra were recorded using the direct injection of the probe at elevated temperature, when the salts were decomposed with the loss of counter-ions. In the case of ESI, primary ions are radical cations [Cat]+· and cations [Cat-H]+, decomposed further by the loss of N-substituents. More complicated DART spectra revealed the peaks characterizing both bipyridyl group and organic substituents. MALDI spectra were rather simple and contained the peaks for [Cat]+ · ions that are structurally identical to radical cations formed during the reduction of the salts in solution. Among all the methods, DART and MALDI are suitable for the qualitative analysis of such bis-quaternary salts, while ESI is convenient for the quantitative analysis of these analytes.