Study of the Fragmentation of D-Glucose and Alkylmonoglycosides in the Presence of Sodium Ions in an Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer

Using electrospray ion-trap mass spectrometry, the fragmentation of D-glucose and alkylmonoglycopyranosides (alkyl-GPs) was studied. In the presence of Na+, B1 and 0,2A fragmentations were observed. The alkyl-GPs also showed a 2,5Afragmentation. A cluster containing no carbon atoms and adducts of this cluster with neutral molecules were observed. Standards of alkylmonoglycofuranosides (alkyl-GFs) were not available; however, their fragmentation was studied by high-performace liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and HPLC-MS2 using an industrial mixture of alkylpolyglycosides. The cluster and its adducts were more easily formed by the alkyl-GPs than by the alkyl-GFs, but the 0,2A cross-ring cleavage was more easily produced by the alkyl-GFs.