Electron impact studies. Part LXXVI. Scrambling processes in ions derived from diphenylmethane derivatives

Abstract

The loss of a methyl radical from the ion C₁₃H₁₁⁺[derived from the molecular ions of Ph₂CHX (X = Br, OMe, and OH)] occurs with complete hydrogen and carbon scrambling, with all the C–H bonds breaking and re-forming in a statistical manner. A similar loss of methyl occurs from the molecular ion of diphenylmethane, but in this case the scrambling is not complete, and the molecular ions of 7-phenylcyclohepta-1,3,5-triene and o-methylbiphenyl may be implicated in the rearrangement. The loss of a phenyl radical from the molecular ions of Ph₂CHX (X = H and OH) proceeds with partial hydrogen scrambling, but carbon scrambling does not occur.