Factors stabilizing the gas-phase ionic species of crystals of organic salts – Experimental and theoretical study

The paper studied factors of the gas phase (GP) ionic stabilization of molecular organic crystals of salts. The single crystal X-ray diffraction, electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometric (MS) methods are employed. The GP phenomena are explained by the comprehensive quantum-chemical theoretical models, providing significant information for the electronic structures and thermodynamics of the observed MS species. The n-chloro-alkyl aliphatic heterocyclic 5-sulfosalicylates i.e. 1-(2-chloroethyl) pyrrolidinium 5-sulfosalicylicilate (1), 1-(2-chloroethyl)-piperidinium 5-sulfosalicylicilate (2), and 1-(3-chloropropyl) piperidinium 5-sulfosalicylicilate (3) are examined. The ionic systems that contain N+H-heterocyclic fragments, a complex MS image variety of monocations, quaternary ammonium dications and hydrogen bonded molecular complexes revealed. Their stabilization is explained by proton transfer (PT), charge-transfer (CT) and Jahn–Teller (JT) effects. The 4-(2-chloroethyl) morpholinium hydrochloride crystals (4) yielded quaternary ammonium adduct which structure is crystallographically determined. In parallel the GP stabilized ions of 4 are analyzed. The complementary application of the single-crystal X-ray diffraction and MS methods provided unique structural evidences in condenses and in the GP able to understand the competitive intramolecular and environmental factors contributing to the thermodynamics stability of the ionic species. Therefore, the data reported are helped for more comprehensive knowledge of the basic mass spectrometric GP and phase transition phenomena with both its methodological development and used robust analytical technique application.