Dependence of mass spectrometric fragmentation on the bromine substitution pattern of polybrominated diphenyl ethers

This study investigates the link between the bromine substitution and the mass spectrometric fragmentation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The mass spectra of 180 PBDEs were obtained in both electron impact (EI) and electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) modes using a single quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) as well as EI using a tandem MS (MS/MS). The major ions are M(+), [M-2Br](+), [M-2Br](2+) and [M-nBr-28](+) in EI, and Br(-), [HBr2](-) and [C6BrnO](-) in ECNI. In EI-MS, congeners without ortho bromine or having 2,3 substitution on one ring and no ortho bromines on the other were more robust than the others in each homolog. These congeners generated low [M-2Br](+) but relatively high [M-2Br](2+) in EI-MS and negligible [HBr2](-) in ECNI-MS. In EI-MS/MS, the molecular ions of these congeners required higher collision energy to debrominate, and produced additional ions of [M-nBr](+) and [M-nBr-28](+). Full ortho substitution promotes C-O cleavage forming [C6BrnO](-) in ECNI for congeners with >5 bromines. The relationship between the abundance of M(+) and collision energy of the EI-MS/MS was well characterized with a logistic regression model. Principle component analysis found associations between the inflection point collision energy and a few molecular descriptors. Quantum chemistry simulations revealed different EI-induced fragmentation mechanisms among four dibrominated congeners, supporting the hypothesized formation of a stable dibenzofuran-like intermediate during the fragmentation of some congeners but not of others.