A fast atom bombardment and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry study of doubly charged porphyrins.

In this mass spectrometry (MS) study of doubly charged porphyrin salts, fast atom bombardment (FAB) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MS techniques are utilized to examine several unique ionic species. The predominant transformation of preformed doubly charged ions in the desorption/ionization mechanism of FAB and MALDI is the result of deprotonation reactions to form singly charged ions of the type M(2+) - H(+) and of one-electron reductions to form radical cations M(2+) + e(-). The dependence of this phenomenon and the formation of a number of additional ionic species on the different matrices and the FAB-matrix additive benzoquinone is examined. The significant analogous behavior of doubly charged porphyrins in FAB- and MALDI-MS leads to the conclusion that one-electron reductions are of distinct relevance in the desorption/ionization mechanism of MALDI.