MASS SPECTROMETRIC FRAGMENTATION OF TRIMETHYLSILYL AND RELATED ALKYLSILYL DERIVATIVES

This review describes the mass spectral fragmentation of trimethylsilyl (TMS) and related alkylsilyl derivatives used for preparing samples for analysis, mainly by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The review is divided into three sections. The first section is concerned with the TMS derivatives themselves and describes fragmentation of derivatized alcohols, thiols, amines, ketones, carboxylic acids and bifunctional compounds such as hydroxy- and amino-acids, halo acids and hydroxy ethers. More complex compounds such as glycerides, sphingolipids, carbohydrates, organic phosphates, phosphonates, steroids, vitamin D, cannabinoids, and prostaglandins are discussed next. The second section describes intermolecular reactions of siliconium ions such as the TMS cation and the third section discusses other alkylsilyl derivatives. Among these latter compounds are di- and trialkyl-silyl derivatives, various substituted-alkyldimethylsilyl derivatives such as the tert-butyldimethylsilyl ethers, cyclic silyl derivatives, alkoxysilyl derivatives, and 3-pyridylmethyldimethylsilyl esters used for double bond location in fatty acid spectra. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 0000:1-107, 2019.

Artifacts in trimethylsilyl derivatization reactions and ways to avoid them

Trimethylsilyl derivatives are routinely employed in gas chromatography to increase the volatility and stability of organic compounds containing active hydrogens. Normally only the desired derivative is formed when organic compounds are derivatized with common silylation reagents. However, some compounds form additional unexpected derivatives or by-products (artifacts). Artifact formation leads to multiple peaks for the same compound or unexpected components in the gas chromatographic analysis of mixtures. This review includes silylation artifacts identified in our laboratory by mass spectrometry during the last 20 years and references to those found in the literature. Also, means of avoiding artifact formation are discussed in detail.