Mass spectrometry of nitrosamines: rearrangement of nitrosobenzylmethylamine molecular ions with loss of OH-radicals investigated by deuterated derivatives.

Nitrosamines (R1R2NO) containing a certain R groups yield mass spectra with M+-OH fragments which can be accounted for by intramolecular hydrogen shift with subsequent cleavage of OH-radicals. As can be shown with mass spectra of specifically deuterated derivatives of nitrosobenzylmethylamine - nitrosobenzyltrideuteriomethylamine, alpha,alpha-nitrosodideuteriobenzylmethylamine and o,o',p-nitrosotrideuteri0-benzylmethylamine - hydrogen transfer within the molecular ion of nitrosobenzylmethylamine occurs selectively onto the oxygen of the nitroso group from the benzylethylene group, probably via a five-membered cyclic transition state. Cleavage of OH radicals leads to formation of M+-17 ions, the stability of which can be explained by mesomerically stabilized cyclic diazirinium ions.