Molecular mass determination of saturated hydrocarbons: reactivity of eta5-cyclopentadienylcobalt ion (CpCo*+) and linear alkanes up to C-30.

The present study demonstrates the feasibility of the eta5-cyclopentadienylcobalt ion (CpCo*+) as a suitable cationization reagent for saturated hydrocarbon analysis by mass spectrometry. Ion/molecule reactions of CpCo*+ and three medium chain-length n-alkanes were examined using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Second-order rate constants and reaction efficiencies were determined for the reactions studied. Loss of two hydrogen molecules from the CpCo-alkane ion complex was found to dominate all reactions ( > or = 80%). Furthermore, this dehydrogenation reaction efficiency increases with increasing chain length. These preliminary results suggest that the CpCo*+ ion may be a promising cationization reagent of longer chain saturated hydrocarbons and polyolefins.