Metastable decompositions of gem-dialkoxyalkanes upon electron impact. III. Diethoxymethane (CH(2)(OCH(2)CH(3))(2)).

Unimolecular metastable decomposition of diethoxymethane (CH(2)(OCH(2)CH(3))(2), 1) upon electron impact has been investigated by means of mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry and theD-labeling technique in conjunction with thermochemistry. The m/z 103 ion (M - H : CH(OCH(2)CH(3)) = O(+)CH(2)CH(3)) decomposes into the m/z 47 ion (protonated formic acid, CH(OH) = O(+)H) by consecutive losses of two C(2)H(4) molecules via an m/z 75 ion. The resulting product ion at m/z 47 further decomposes into the m/z 29 and 19 ions by losses of H(2)O and CO, respectively, via an 1,3-hydroxyl hydrogen transfer, accompanied by small kinetic energy release (KER) values of 1.3 and 18.8 meV, respectively. When these two elimination reactions are suppressed by a large isotope effect, however, another 1,1-H(2)O elimination with a large KER value (518 meV) is revealed. The m/z 89 ion (M - CH(3) : CH(2)(OCH(2)CH(3))O(+) = CH(2)) decomposes into the m/z 59 ion (CH(3)CH(2)O(+) = CH(2)) by losing CH(2)O in the metastable time window. The source-generated m/z 59 ion (M - OCH(2)CH(3) : CH(2) = O(+)CH(2)CH(3)) decomposes into the m/z 41 (CH(2) = CH(+)CH(2)) and m/z 31 (CH(2) = O(+)H) ions by losses of H(2)O and C(2)H(4), respectively, with considerable hydrogen scrambling prior to decomposition. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.