Field desorption mass spectrometry of the B vitamins: Pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, their phosphates, and thiamine

Characterization of the B vitamins. pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, their phosphates and thiamine salts by electron impact mass spectrometry is difficult. A new technique, field desorption, is applied in ionizing these molecules for mass spectrometric analysis Characterization of these compounds by field desorption has the advantage that in each case the most intense peak in the spectrum is formed without fragmentation.