Studies ofO-substituted oxime-trimethylsilyl ester derivatives of some metabolically-important oxocarboxylic acids

The mass spectra of the methyl-, ethyl- and benzyl-oxime trimethylsilyl ester derivatives of sixteen oxocarboxylic acids are reported. They are discussed both in terms of their fragmentation and their utility for use in studies of inborn errors of metabolism. Several applications where these derivatives have proved of value are presented.