Electron impact studies. LXXXIII. Negative-ion mass spectrometry of functional groups.

Fragmentations of the amide group are not generally observed from molecular anions produced by the capture of slow electrons. Enhancement of the internal energy of the molecular anions by collision excitation allows the detection of the fragmentations of the substituent in the field-free regions of the mass spectrometer. Fragmentation of the amide group occurs α to either the carbonyl or amino functions.