Tbe fragmentation reactions of some terpewid esters and pbenylpropanoids under tbe conditions of isobutaw and ammonia chemical ionization (CI) are d i s c d Tbe esters sbow different bebaviour witb these two gases with respect to determination of the relative molecular mass and information about the structure of tbe molecoles. Tbe structural isomers of the pbenylpropanoids can uaequivdy be distinguished witb both isobutaw and ammonia CI. Cis/trrurs isomers of tbe pbenylpropmoids sbow virt(lpuy identical CI spectra.
EXPERIMENTALThe compounds were measured using GC/MS. Compounds 1 and 2 were contained in balm oil (essential leaf oil of Melissa ofticinah L.) and were measured in the latter without prior isolation. All other compounds were obtained commercially and were combined in a few mixtures for measurements by GC/MS.The GC conditions were as follows: gas chromatograph Varian Model 3700; capillary columns (coupled to the mass spectrometer via an open split interface), DB-WAX (30 m x 0.25 mm i.d.), film thickness 0.25 pm, and CpWAX57CB (50 m x 0.32 i.d.), film thickness 0.22 pm; carrier gas, helium; flow-rate, 0.9-1.5 ml min-'; temperature programme, 5 min at 60"C, then heated at 3 "C min-to 200 "C; injection , split mode.The conditions for MS were as follows: mass spectrometer, Finnigan MAT 8200; data system, Finnigan MAT SS300; reagent gases, isobutane (99.5%) and ammonia (99.8%) (obtained from Messer Griesheim, Frankfurt, Germany); ion-source conditions : nominal 0030-493)3/92/