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Published on: July 27, 2018
Gas-phase transformation of phosphatidylcholine cations to structurally informative anions via ion/ion chemistry
John R Stutzman1, Stephen J Blanksby, Scott A McLuckey
1Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, United States.
Abstract:
Gas-phase transformation of synthetic phosphatidylcholine (PC) monocations to structurally informative anions is demonstrated via ion/ion reactions with doubly deprotonated 1,4-phenylenedipropionic acid (PDPA). Two synthetic PC isomers, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC(16:0/18:1)) and 1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC(18:1/16:0)), were subjected to this ion/ion chemistry. The product of the ion/ion reaction is a negatively charged complex, [PC + PDPA - H](-). Collisional activation of the long-lived complex causes transfer of a proton and methyl cation to PDPA, generating [PC - CH3](-). Subsequent collisional activation of the demethylated PC anions produces abundant fatty acid carboxylate anions and low-abundance acyl neutral losses as free acids and ketenes. Product ion spectra of [PC - CH3](-) suggest favorable cleavage at the sn-2 position over the sn-1 due to distinct differences in the relative abundances. In contrast, collisional activation of PC cations is absent of abundant fatty acid chain-related product ions and typically indicates only the lipid class via formation of the phosphocholine cation. A solution phase method to produce the gas-phase adducted PC anion is also demonstrated. Product ion spectra derived from the solution phase method are similar to the results generated via ion/ion chemistry. This work demonstrates a gas-phase means to increase structural characterization of phosphatidylcholines via ion/ion chemistry.
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