Automated assignment of high-resolution collisionally activated dissociation mass spectra using a systematic bond disconnection approach

An essential component of the process of characterising chemical unknowns via mass spectrometry is the analysis of collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) mass spectra. Existing tools for the automated assignment of CAD spectra typically use a rule-based approach which identifies those bonds that are likely to break. While valuable, the failure of explicitly rule-based approaches to suggest rationalisations for a significant proportion of observed product ions led us to develop an alternative approach (elucidation of product ion connectivity, EPIC) based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, systematic bond disconnection of the precursor structure, and ranking of the resulting substructures. We exemplify this approach with a reanalysis of published MS/MS data for two compounds taken from the literature. Copyright (C) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.