In an -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 for a ketone, an iminium ion for an amine). The McLafferty rearrangement of a carbonyl compound transfers a hydrogen from the carbon to the carbonyl oxygen and breaks the – bond, releasing an alkene and an enol radical cation.
Chemistry · Glossary
What is Two fragmentations?
Also known as: alpha-cleavage · McLafferty rearrangement