Mass spectrometry of alditols as trimethylsilyl derivatives

Journal article, 1969

Trimethylsilyl ethers of alditols with 3, 4, 5 and 6 C atoms were investigated. The mass spectra are unusually clearly correlated with the structures. The predominant fragmentations are cleavages in the carbon chain and rearrangement loss of trimethylsilanol. The spectra are closely related to those of the methyl ethers. A spectrum unambiguously identifies a compound as an alditol and permits the determination of its molecular weight.