Positive chemical ionization mass spectra of (η⁶-arene) tricarbonylchromium complexes with ammonia and isobutane

Summary

The positive chemical ionization mass spectra, with ammonia and isobutane at 0.5 torr of (η⁶-arene)Cr(CO)₃, where arene is C₆H₅COMe, C₆H₅COEt, C₆H₅COC₃H₇, C₆H₅COCMe₃, 2-MeC₆H₄COC₃H₇, C₆H₅COOMe, C₆H₅CH₂ COEt, C₆H₅Me and 1,3,5-Me₃C₆H₃ are reported. All these compounds exhibit [M + H]⁺ as base peak, with isobutane. In the presence of ammonia, [M + NH₄]⁺ is the most abundant ion, when the arene is a ketone or an ester and the addition site is suggested to be the ligand. Conversely [M + H]⁺ is the base peak when arene is toluene and mesitylene and the protonation site is likely to be the metal atom. In the presence of ammonia, ions such as [M — 3 CO + NH₃]⁺ and [M — 3 CO + 2 NH₃]⁺ are also observed and their abundances strongly depend on the pressure of the reagent gas.