Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry determined regioisomeric structures of disubstituted beta-cyclodextrin derivatives.

Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was applied to the analysis of regiospecifically disubstituted beta-cyclodextrins. Each disubstituted regioisomer showed unique fragmentation, distinguishing each of them unambiguously. These results demonstrate that mass spectrometry is the most straightforward method among those reported in the assignment of regioisomeric structures of these oligosaccharides.