Correlations of relative sensitivities in gas chromatography electron ionization mass spectrometry with molecular parameters.

The relative molar sensitivities for a number of compounds having a variety of functional groups were obtained in gas chromatography electron ionization mass spectrometry. Comparable results were obtained with a quadrupole and with a magnetic mass spectrometer. The present relative molar sensitivities are in good agreement with relative ionization cross sections obtained by different techniques and different instruments for a variety of compounds with molecular weights below about 200 u. For compounds of higher molecular weight, the present experimental sensitivities are significantly larger than estimates extrapolated from earlier data. The relatively molar sensitivities correlate well with molecular polarizability.