Metal-dependent alternative activation of O–H and C–H bonds of methanol: on the formation and structure of “bare” [M,C,H ₃ ,O] ⁺ complexes (M = Fe, Co, Ni) in the gas phase

Structural aspects of the 'bare' [M(C,H(3),O)](+) complexes (M = Fe, Co, Ni), generated by electrospray ionization of aqueous methanolic solutions of MX(2) (X = Br, I), have been probed in the gas phase by a combination of labeling studies and collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments.