Mass spectrometry of some ultraviolet absorbing derivatives of sugars and related alditols: identification in biologic fluids after separation by high performance liquid chromatography.

The 70 eV electron impact mass spectra of the acyclic perbenzoyl 0-benzyloximes of several mono- and disaccharides of clinical interest and the perbenzoates of certain related alditols have been obtained and compared with those of other similar derivatives studied previously. In general, the spectra of the benzyloximes contain molecular ions and characteristic fragments due to [C6H5]+,[C7H7]+,[C6H5CO]+ and [C6H5CooH]+., losses of HCHO, C6H5COO. and C6H5COOH, and cleavages along the carbon chain. The most unique ions in these spectra arise from the combined loss of C7H7. and C6H5COO.from the molecular ion: m/z 191 (C3), m/z 339 (deoxy-C5), m/z 459 (C5), m/z 473 (deoxy-C6), and m/z 593 (C6). The alditol benzoates fragment similarly, but they do not yield molecular ions. These data are being used to help confirm the identities of carbohydrates in biologic fluids fractionation by high performance liquid chromatography, prior to the establishment of routine quantitative assays for several of these compounds.