Electron ionization mass spectrometric analysis of air- and moisture-sensitive organometallic compounds.

Electron ionization (EI) is a reliable mass spectrometric method for the analysis of the vast majority of thermally stable and volatile compounds. In direct EI-MS, the sample is placed into the probe and introduced to the source. For air- and moisture-sensitive organometallic complexes, the sample introduction step is critical. A small quantity must be briefly exposed to the atmosphere, during which time decomposition can occur. Here we present a simple tool that allows convenient analysis of air- and moisture-sensitive organometallic species by direct probe methods: a small purge-able glove chamber affixed to the front end of the mass spectrometer. Using the upgraded mass spectrometer, we successfully characterized a series of air- and moisture-sensitive organometallic complexes, ranging from mildly to very air-sensitive.