Chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry for the characterization of the degradation products of the photodegradation of amidosulfuron: an analytical approach.

Simulated sunlight irradiation causing degradation of amidosulfuron, a pyrimidinylsulfonylurea herbicide, has been investigated in aqueous solution. The main degradation products were followed up by ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography with a UV detector (UHPLC-UV) and identified by combining ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). On the basis of the retrosynthetic analysis, the most identified degradation products were mainly due to the losses of methylsulfamic acid (CH₅NO₃S), sulfocarbamic acid (CH₃NO₅S), carbamic acid (CH₃NO₂), methyl(methylsulfonyl)sulfamic acid (C₂H₇NO₅S₂), N-methylmethanesulfonamide (C₂H₇NO₂S), and sulfonic acid (H₂SO₄) molecules. Accordingly, O and S-demethylation as well as hydroxylation processes were also observed. Sum formulas of the main degradation products were assigned, and a mechanical pathway is proposed.