Mass spectrometry of pertrimethylsilyl oligosaccharides containing fructose units

Abstract

Mass spectra of 6 TMS-disaccharides of type aldohexosyl-(1-> x)-fructose, in which x varies from 1 to 6, were compared and could be divided into two main groups i.e. (1 ar 1), (1 ar 2) disaccharides and (1 ar 3), (1 ar 4), (1 ar 5), (1 ar 6) disaccharides. Within both groups a further differentiation was possible. Also the mass spectra of 2 di-, 6 tri- and 3 tetrasaccharides containing one or more (x ar 2)-@b-d-fructofuranose units (x = 1 or 6) were studied. The presence of such a unit gives rise to very abundant ions at m/e 437 and/or m/e 815. A number of other fragment ions e.g. m/e 671, m/e 811, m/e 1049 and m/e 1427 are also of great importance for the characterization of the latter fructosyl oligosaccharides.