Characterization of ion-dipole complexes by collisional activation and collisional ionization spectrometry

Complexes between a radical cation and a dipole molecule are taking their place beside the conventional isomeric ion structures in mass spectra. Complexes of H2O, NH3, H2S, PH3, HF, HCl, HBr, CH3CN and CH3NC with CH2+ ions and a number of higher homologues are formed via dissociative ionization and/or ion molecule reactions. Structures were established by Collisional Ionization and Activation Mass spectra. A number of stabilities established by measurements and quantum mechanical calculations show that they fall in the range of those of conventional isomers and that conversion barriers are generally high.