Gas-phase fragmentation study of novel synthetic 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

The fragmentation patterns of a series of three novel synthesized 3-hydroxy-4-phenyl-tetrahydro-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-ones (1-3), possessing the same backbone structure, were investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques. A simple methodology, based on the use of ESI (positive ion mode) and by increasing the declustering potential in the atmospheric pressure/vacuum interface, collision-induced dissociation (CID), was used to enhance the formation of the fragment ions. In general, the novel synthetic 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives afforded, in the gas phase, both protonated and sodiated molecules.