Evaluation of coal-related model compounds using tandem mass spectrometry

Guo-Sheng Li; Xueming Dong; Xing Fan; Chun-Yan You; Ge Wu; Yun-Peng Zhao; Yao Lu; Xian-Yong Wei; Feng-Yun Ma

doi:10.1002/rcm.8163

Evaluation of coal-related model compounds using tandem mass spectrometry

Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2018 Aug 30;32(16):1462-1472. doi: 10.1002/rcm.8163.

Authors

Guo-Sheng Li¹, Xueming Dong², Xing Fan^{1

3}, Chun-Yan You¹, Ge Wu⁴, Yun-Peng Zhao¹, Yao Lu^{1

5}, Xian-Yong Wei¹, Feng-Yun Ma³

Affiliations

¹ China University of Mining & Technology, Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, Ministry of Education, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, China.
² Purdue University, Department of Chemistry, Brown Building, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
³ Xinjiang University, Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion & Chemical Engineering Process, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Urumqi, 830046, China.
⁴ Purdue University, Krannert School of Management, Brown Building, 403 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
⁵ China University of Mining & Technology, Advanced Analysis & Computation Center, Xuzhou, 221116, China.

PMID: 29740899
DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8163

Abstract

Rationale: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is a routine and basic instrumental method for the analysis of complex coal conversion products in the chemical industry. To further enhance the practical potential of GC/MS in chemical industry, a tandem MS method for the selection of ion pairs applied in monitoring coal conversions was established using GC/quadrupole time-of-flight MS (GC/Q-TOF MS). The corresponding fragmentation pathways were explored and suitable ion pairs were screened.

Methods: Fourteen coal-related model compounds (CRMCs) were analyzed using GC/Q-TOF MS with different collision-induced dissociation (CID) energies (5-20 eV). The fragmentation pathways can offer a better understanding of chemical bond breaking, hydrogen transfer, rearrangement reactions and elimination of neutral fragments for CRMCs during the CID process.

Results: The precursor ions of aromatic hydrocarbons without alkyl chains were difficult to fragment with a CID energy of 20 eV. But aromatic hydrocarbons with branched chains were prone to fragment via the loss of alkyl chains and further fragmented through ring-opening reactions. Compared with the C_alk C_ar bond, the C_ar C_ar bond was difficult to fragment due to its high bond dissociation energy. The existence of heteroatoms facilitated fragmentation that was conducive to the screening of ion pairs.

Conclusions: The CID technique of GC/Q-TOF MS will contribute to studies on the organic composition of coals and to building monitoring methods for coal conversions via fragmentation and ion pair selection.