Styrene radical cations for chemical ionization mass spectrometry analyses of monoterpene hydrocarbons.

Utilization of the styrene cation for the ionization of monoterpenes is beneficial due to the very low fragmentation of the product ions. Specific association product ions for camphene and (R)-limonene and fragment product ions for γ-terpinene allow them to be distinguished from other isomers that produce mostly the molecular cation.