1: Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom.  2004;18(5):523-8.  

Key fragmentation patterns of aporphine alkaloids by electrospray ionization
with multistage mass spectrometry.

Stevigny C, Jiwan JL, Rozenberg R, de Hoffmann E, Quetin-Leclercq J.

Laboratoire de pharmacognosie, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Ecole de
Pharmacie, Unite CHAM, avenue Mounier 72, UCL 7230, B-1200 Bruxelles, Belgium.
caroline.stevigny@cham.ucl.ac.be

This work reports a detailed study of the fragmentations of aporphine alkaloids
by electrospray ionization with multistage mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)) in
positive mode. In a first step the loss of the amino group and its substituent
is observed. Further steps display the loss of the peripheral groups. Losses of
methanol and CO are observed if an OH is vicinal to an OCH(3) on the aromatic
ring. Otherwise the spectra show radical losses of CH(3)* or CH(3)O* as the main
fragmentations. If a methylenedioxy group is present losses of formaldehyde
followed by CO are observed. These fragmentations yield important information on
the structures of aporphines. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID: 14978796 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]