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Chemistry · Glossary

What is Two fragmentations?

Also known as: alpha-cleavage · McLafferty rearrangement

Definition 32.11 University Chemistry — Year 2 · Chapter 32 — Mass Spectrometry and Atomic Spectroscopy

In an α\alpha-cleavage, a bond to the carbon next to a heteroatom or a carbonyl breaks, leaving a cation stabilised by the heteroatom’s lone pair (an acylium ion R−C≡O+\mathrm{R{-}C{\equiv}O^+} for a ketone, an iminium ion for an amine). The McLafferty rearrangement of a carbonyl compound transfers a hydrogen from the γ\gamma carbon to the carbonyl oxygen and breaks the α\alpha–β\beta bond, releasing an alkene and an enol radical cation.

Electron-ionisation spectra (NIST WebBook data). Butan-2-one: molecular ion at 72; -cleavages give the acylium ions CH3CO+ (43, base peak) and C2H5CO+ (57). 1-Bromopropane: the molecular ion is a 1 : 1 pair at 122 and 124 (79Br, 81Br); losing the bromine atom leaves C3H7+ at 43, the base peak. Electron-ionisation spectra (NIST WebBook data). Butan-2-one: molecular ion at 72; -cleavages give the acylium ions CH3CO+ (43, base peak) and C2H5CO+ (57). 1-Bromopropane: the molecular ion is a 1 : 1 pair at 122 and 124 (79Br, 81Br); losing the bromine atom leaves C3H7+ at 43, the base peak.
Electron-ionisation spectra (NIST WebBook data). Butan-2-one: molecular ion at 72; α\alpha-cleavages give the acylium ions CHX3COX+\ce{CH3CO+} (43, base peak) and CX2HX5COX+\ce{C2H5CO+} (57). 1-Bromopropane: the molecular ion is a 1 : 1 pair at 122 and 124 (X79X2279Br\ce{^{79}Br}, X81X2281Br\ce{^{81}Br}); losing the bromine atom leaves CX3HX7X+\ce{C3H7+} at 43, the base peak.
The McLafferty rearrangement of pentan-2-one, drawn through its six-membered cyclic arrangement: the hydrogen on the  carbon moves to the oxygen, the – bond breaks, ethene leaves, and the enol radical cation of propanone remains at m/z 58.
The McLafferty rearrangement of pentan-2-one, drawn through its six-membered cyclic arrangement: the hydrogen on the γ\gamma carbon moves to the oxygen, the α\alpha–β\beta bond breaks, ethene leaves, and the enol radical cation of propanone remains at m/zm/z 58.
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