Abstract

Observation of the Reactions of Free Radicals using Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

David Harman, Lecturer and Mass Spectrometry Facility Manager , University of Western Sydney

Free radical ions have been generated from non-radical precursors by a number of means inside a modified ion trap mass spectrometer. Radical species in which the charge and unpaired spin are spatially separate and resonance-decoupled are termed distonic, and react similarly to uncharged free radicals. We have exploited this property in order to observe free radical reactions in real time, measure their rate constants and elucidate gas phase mechanisms.