Molecular radical cations, M •+ , of amino acids and oligopeptides are produced by collision-induced dissociation of mixed complex ions, [Cu II (dien)M] •2+ , that contain Cu II , an amine, typically diethylenetriamine (dien), and the oligopeptide, M. With dien as the amine ligand, abundant M •+ formation is observed only for the amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine, and oligopeptides that contain either the tryptophanyl or tyrosyl residue. Dissociation of the M •+ ion is rich and differs considerably from that of protonated amino acids and peptides. Facile fragmentation occurs around the R-carbon of the tryptophanyl residue. Cleavage of the N-C R bond and proton transfer from the exocyclic methylene group in the side chain to the N-terminal residue results in formation of the [z n -H] •+ ion and elimination of the N-terminal fragment as ammonia or an amide, depending on the position of the tryptophanyl residue. Cleavage of the C R -C bond of an oligopeptide containing a C-terminal tryptophan residue and proton transfer from the carboxylic group to the N-terminal fragment (a carbonyl oxygen atom) results in formation of the [a n + H] •+ ion and elimination of carbon dioxide. Both types of fragmentation have no analogous reactions in protonated peptides. For the M •+ of tryptophanylglycylglycine, WGG, elimination of the tryptophanyl side chain results in GGG •+ . This radical cation fragments by eliminating its C-terminal glycine to give the [b 2 -H] •+ ion, which is an oxazolone and shares much of the structure and reactivity of the b 2 + ion from protonated triglycine. Density functional theory shows the mechanism of forming the [b 2 -H] •+ ion is similar to that of the b 2 + ion, although the free-energy barrier at 29.4 kcal/mol is lower. The [b 2 -H] •+ ion eliminates CO readily to give the [a 2 -H] •+ ion, which is an iminium radical ion.

The fragmentation pathways of protonated arginine, protonated N R ,N R -dimethylarginine, the N R ,N R ,N Rtrimethylarginine ion, three protonated N ,N -dimethyllysines, and three permanent lysine ions in which the charge is fixed by trimethylation are reported. Ion assignment was facilitated by 15 N-labeling and deuterium substitution. The chemistries are dominated by charge-induced elimination of the amino groups as neutrals, including dimethylamine, trimethylamine and guanidine. Competitive losses of the R-amino and side-chain amino groups were observed; these losses led to intermediates that had different structures and different subsequent dissociation reactions. Concomitant losses of CO or CO 2 with these amines were also commonly observed. However, the ionic products of amine losses did not subsequently lose CO or CO 2 , suggesting strongly that in these concomitant eliminations, it is the CO or CO 2 that was first eliminated, followed immediately by the loss of the amine. Results of density functional theory calculations on protonated arginine and protonated N R ,N R -dimethylarginine reveal that, in such concomitant eliminations, the dissociating complex is vibrationally hot and the intermediate ion formed by losing CO or CO 2 can immediately dissociate to eliminate the amine.

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Histidine, lysine, and arginine radical cations have been generated through collision-induced dissociation (CID) of complexes [CuII(auxiliary ligand)namino acid]*2+, using tri-, bi-, as well as monodentate auxiliary ligands. On the basis of the observed CID products, the existence of two isomeric amino-acid populations is postulated. The Type 1 radical cations of histidine and lysine, stable on the mass spectrometer time scale, were found to lose water, followed by the loss of carbon monoxide under more energetic CID conditions. The arginine Type 1 radical cation behaved differently, losing dehydroalanine. The Type 2 radical cations were metastable and easily fragmented by the loss of carbon dioxide, effectively preventing direct observation. Type 1 radical cations are proposed to result from neutral (canonical) amino-acid coordination, whereas Type 2 radical cations are from zwitterionic amino-acid coordination to copper in the complex. The ratio of Type 1/Type 2 ions was found to be dependent on the auxiliary ligand, providing a method of controlling which radical cation would be formed primarily. Density functional calculations at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) have been used to determine the relative energies of five His*+ isomers. Barriers against interconversion between the isomers and against fragmentation have been calculated, giving insight as to why the Type 1 ions are stable, while only fragmentation products of the Type 2 ions are observable under CID conditions.

The dissociations of two types of copper(II)-containing complexes of tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr), or phenylalanine (Phe) are described. The first type is the bis-amino acid complex, [Cu(II)(M)(2)].(2+), where M = Trp, Tyr, or Phe; the second [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(M)].(2+), where 4Cl-tpy is the tridendate ligand 4'-chloro-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine. Dissociations of the Cu(ii) bis-amino acid complexes produce abundant radical cation of the amino acid, M.(+), and/or its secondary products. By contrast, dissociations of the 4Cl-tpy-bearing ternary complexes give abundant M.(+) only for Trp. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that for Tyr and Phe, amino-acid displacement reactions by H(2)O and CH(3)OH (giving [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(H(2)O)].(2+) and [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(CH(3)OH)].(2+)) are energetically more favorable than dissociative electron transfer (giving M.(+) and [Cu(I)(4Cl-tpy)](+)). The fragmentation pathway common to all these [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(M)].(2+) ions is the loss of NH(3). DFT calculations show that the loss of NH(3) proceeds via a "phenonium-type" intermediate. Dissociative electron transfer in [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(M-NH(3))].(2+) results in [M-NH(3)].(+). The [Phe-NH(3)] (+) ion dissociates facilely by eliminating CO(2) and giving a metastable phenonium-type ion that rearranges readily into the styrene radical cation.