Mass spectrometry is suggested as a method for the general characterization of mono-and di-f-butyl peresters. In many instances it is possible to measure the molecular ion, especially in the mono-t-butyl peresters. The fragmentation patterns of various t-butyl peresters are presented.ALTHOUGH various methods exist for the characterization of peresters, e.g. infrared spectroscopy, titrimetric analysis and elemental analysis, the use of mass spectrometry for this purpose has been rather 1imited.l One of the problems in measuring the mass spectrum of peresters is the thermal instability of these compounds.ld However, it should be noted that the mass spectra of several other groups of thermally unstable compounds, e.g. peroxides,2-6 hydroperoxides,' ozonidess and azides,$ have been reported.During the course of certain research involving the synthesis of Feist's perester the mass spectrum of this compound was routinely measured. Surprisingly, perester 8 exhibited a distinct molecular ion.l0 This observation prompted us to measure the mass spectra of several other t-butyl peresters and to determine the applicability of mass spectrometry for the characterization of this particular class of organic compounds. We have now measured the mass spectra of seven peresters in the monocarboxylic acid series (1-4) and six in the dicarboxylic acid series (8-13). CO3t-Bu 6 1 C03t-BU Cost-BU 11 aC03t-B~ o C O 3 t -B U C03t-Bu 'CO,t-BU