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Mass Spect:Fragmentation definitions

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  • Ionization Potential
    Relative ease with which an electron is removed from a molecule by an electron beam, influencing which fragments form.
  • Radical Cation
    Species formed when a molecule loses an electron, carrying both a positive charge and an unpaired electron.
  • Base Peak
    Tallest peak in a mass spectrum, representing the most abundant ion, often a stable fragment rather than the molecular ion.
  • Molecular Ion
    Ion formed by removal of one electron from a molecule, typically corresponding to the molecule's full mass.
  • Fragmentation
    Process where radical cations break into smaller, more stable ions, generating characteristic peaks in a mass spectrum.
  • Carbocation Stability
    Tendency of a positively charged carbon to persist, influencing which fragments are most abundant in mass spectra.
  • Methyl Group Loss
    Common fragmentation resulting in a peak 15 units less than the molecular ion, due to removal of a CH3 group.
  • Ethyl Group Loss
    Fragmentation pattern producing a peak 29 units less than the molecular ion, from loss of a C2H5 group.
  • Water Loss
    Fragmentation event where H2O is eliminated, often from alcohols, resulting in a peak 18 units less than the molecular ion.
  • Vinyl Position
    Location directly attached to a double bond, which is relatively easy to ionize during mass spectrometry.
  • Aromatic Ring
    Stable cyclic structure, such as benzene, where ionization typically occurs at substituents rather than within the ring.
  • Alkane
    Hydrocarbon with only single bonds, generally showing the highest resistance to ionization in mass spectrometry.
  • Methoxy Group Loss
    Fragmentation involving removal of an OCH3 group, leading to a characteristic peak in the mass spectrum.
  • m/z Ratio
    Value representing the mass-to-charge ratio of detected ions, used to identify fragments in a mass spectrum.
  • Relative Abundance
    Proportion of a specific ion detected in a mass spectrum, reflecting the stability and likelihood of its formation.