Chemistry of sulphines. Part XVII. Fragmentation and rearrangement processes upon electron impact of aromatic sulphines

Abstract

The mass spectra of the diaryl sulphines (Ia–i) and the fused aromatic sulphines (IIa–d) have been rationalized. The main fragmentation is suggested to proceed via an intermediate oxathiiran. The fused sulphines (II) show loss of CO and COH which involves an oxygen transfer from the CSO group to the adjacent aromatic nucleus; this fragmentation is much less pronounced in compounds (I) owing to their non-fused nature. Loss of SO was observed in all cases, which in sulphines (I) leads to the fluorenyl cation upon subsequent loss of H or a substituent.