Mass Spectrometry Page

Theory

Instrumentation

Background Information

The Molecular Ion Peak

Precise Mass Determination

The Nitrogen Rule

Isotope Ratio Data

Fragmentation Patterns for Organic Functional Groups

Organic molecules will fragment in very specific ways depending upon what functional groups are present in the molecule. These fragments (if positively charged) are detected in mass spectrometry. The presence or absence of various mass peaks in the spectrum can be used to deduce the structure of the compound in question. We will study the major classes of organic functional groups and learn the ways in which these groups fragment. Once this material is mastered, a great deal of structural information from the mass spectrum can be deduced.