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Tandem mass spectrometry is arguably the most important analytical tool for structure elucidation of lipids and other metabolites. By fragmenting intact lipid ions, valuable structural information such as the lipid class and fatty acyl composition are readily obtainable. The information content of a fragment spectrum can often be increased by the addition of metal cations. In particular, the use of silver ions is deeply rooted in the history of lipidomics due to their propensity to coordinate both electron-rich heteroatoms and C = C bonds in aliphatic chains. Not surprisingly, coordination of silver ions was found to enable the distinction of sn-isomers in glycerolipids by inducing reproducible intensity differences in the fragment spectra, which could, however, not be rationalized. Here, we investigate the fragmentation behaviors of silver-adducted sn- and double bond glycerophospholipid isomers by probing fragment structures using cryogenic gas-phase infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Our results confirm that neutral headgroup loss from silver-adducted glycerophospholipids leads to dioxolane-type fragments generated by intramolecular cyclization. By combining high-resolution IR spectroscopy and computational modelling of silver-adducted fragments, we offer qualitative explanations for different fragmentation behaviors of glycerophospholipid isomers. Overall, the results demonstrate that gas-phase IR spectroscopy of fragment ions can significantly contribute to our understanding of lipid dissociation mechanisms and the influence of coordinating cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The position and configuration of carbon-carbon double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids is crucial for their biological functions and influences health and disease. However, double bond isomers are not routinely distinguished by classical mass spectrometry workflows. Instead, they require sophisticated analytical approaches usually based on chemical derivatization and/or instrument modification. In this work, a novel strategy to investigate fatty acid double bond isomers (18:1) without prior chemical treatment or modification of the ion source was implemented by non-covalent adduct formation in the gas phase. Fatty acid adducts with sodium, pyridinium, trimethylammonium, dimethylammonium, and ammonium cations were characterized by a combination of cryogenic gas-phase infrared spectroscopy, ion mobility-mass spectrometry, and computational modeling. The results reveal subtle differences between double bond isomers and confirm three-dimensional geometries constrained by non-covalent ion-molecule interactions. Overall, this study on fatty acid adducts in the gas phase explores new avenues for the distinction of lipid double bond isomers and paves the way for further investigations of coordinating cations to increase resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]