Field desorption mass spectrometry: a novel method for the characterisation of cationic co-ordination complexes

Abstract

Field desorption (F.D.) mass spectrometry has been shown to provide a novel and easy method for the characterisatrion of salts of monocationic metal complexes; in most cases the base peaks correspond to the molecular ion for the cation and no fragmentation is observed, but with trans-[Co(en)₂Cl₂]Cl (en = ethylenediamine) and some related trans-complexes one amine ligand is lost in the base peak, and further loss of a halide ligand is observed.