Fragmentation and conformation study of ephedrine by low- and high-resolution mass selective UV spectroscopy

The neurotransmitter molecule, ephedrine, has been studied by mass-selective low- and high-resolution UV resonance enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy. Under all experimental conditions we observed an efficient fragmentation upon ionization. The detected vibronic peaks in the spectrum are classified according to the efficiency of the fragmentation, which leads to the conclusion that there exist three different species in the molecular beam: ephedrine-water cluster and two distinct conformers. The two-color two-photon ionization experiment with a decreased energy of the second photon leads to an upper limit of 8.3 eV for the ionization energy of ephedrine. The high-resolution (70 MHz) spectrum of the strongest vibronic peak in the spectrum measured at the fragment (m/z=58) mass channel displays a pronounced and rich rotational structure. Its analysis by the use of a specially designed computer-aided rotational fit process yields accurate rotational constants for the S-0 and S-1 states and the transition moment ratio, providing information on the respective conformational structure. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.