A fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance study of the mechanism of formation of protonated dimethyl ether from methanol by use of naturally occurring 18O

It is shown that ejection of mass selected ions of high abundance from the cell of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance spectrometer permits the study of ion/molecule reactions of ions of very low abundance. Methanol is used as an illustration. Ejection of all ions with the exception of the 18O labelled protonated methanol molecules, present at natural abundance, shows that the protonated dimethyl ether molecules in this system are formed mainly by an SN2 displacement reaction.