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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Analysis of Complex Molecules and Their Reactions on Surfaces by Means of Cluster-Induced Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 1, 2020
Identification of bismuth-thiolate-carboxylate clusters by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Heather A Phillips1, Neil Burford
1Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J3, Canada.
Abstract:
The known thermal and hydrolytic stability of bismuth-sulfur bonds indicates that biological targets for bismuth likely involve thiol or thiolate functionalities, such as in L-cysteine. Complexes of bismuth with cysteine or other thiol-carboxylic acid ligands have been isolated and characterized providing a preliminary view of the potential participation of these functional groups in the biochemical mechanisms involving bismuth. A broader assessment of bismuth-thiolate interactions has been possible using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). A wide range of complexes has been observed containing mercaptosuccinic acid, 2-mercaptopropionic acid, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, and/or 2-amino-3-mercaptopropionic acid (cysteine). The identification of various multibismuth multiligand cluster ions defines new chemistry for bismuth.
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