The Mass Spectra of Phosphonyl Compounds Part 3 1 . Dimethyl and Diethyl Alkane- And Substituted-Methane Phosphonates

The electron impact mass spectra of 28 related phosphonates have been determined. Ethyl, iso-propyl and tert-butyl groups which are bound directly to phosphorus, fragment to the corresponding alkenes; similar iso-propyl and tert-butyl groups in the dimethyl esters also fragment to ethylene and propene respectively, i.e. the P-alkyl group rearranges with transfer of the elements of a methyl group to the phosphorus ion. The diethyl alkenephosphonates undergo double hydrogen rearrangements of an ethoxy group to give dihydroxyphosphonium ions. The di- and trihydroxyphosphonium ions have a characteristic fragmentation which involves loss of water. This characteristic has been used as evidence for the rearrangement of a phosphacylium ion to a dihydroxyphosphonium ion. Some other unusual rearrangements involving the combination of the groups bound to phosphorus and oxygen have been observed.