Electron‐impact fragmentation of aliphatic polynitro compounds

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Abstract
The mass spectra of two series of aliphatic polynitro compounds are reported and discussed. The fragmentation patterns of aliphatic nitro and polynitro compounds are similar in that no appreciable molecular ion current is observed; however, there are several other features in the fragmentation of aliphatic polynitro compounds which differ from that of nitroalkane spectra. Both series of compounds studied‐C(NO2)x(CH3)4−x, where x = 4 to 0 and C2(NO2)x(CH3)6−x, where x = 6,4,2‐show a decrease in the number and intensity of alkylions with an increase in the NO+ and NO2+ ion current as x increases. The main ions resulting from the more nitrated compounds are [NO]+, [NO2]+, [CO2]+. and [CH3CO]+, whose noncharged counterparts are the principal species produced in the detonation of these compounds. This similarity of the products of the two processes suggests the use of mass spectroscopy for the investigation of the initial explosive processes. The principal fragmentation pathways of the polynitroalkanes have been elucidated by exact mass measurements and the observation of metastable ion transitions.

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