The role of mass spectrometric methods in ionic reaction mechanistic studies

The role of various mass spectrometric methods, including electron ionization, collisional activation, metastable peak shapes, analysis of neutrals from ionic unimolecular dissociations, field ionization kinetics, drift cell, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry, in ionic reaction mechanistic studies is described. This is illustrated by selected examples of research performed in the author's group over the last three decades. They comprise inter alia intramolecular acid-base, anchimeric assistance, nucleophilic attack, isomerization, cycloaddition, S(N)2, and hydride ion transfer reactions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.