The mass spectra of some cyclic ethers

The mass spectral fragmentations of the saturated five‐, six‐ and seven‐membered ring ethers have been determined by studying their site‐specifically deuterated analogues by both high and low‐resolution mass spectrometry. The initial processes, governing the fragmentations of the cyclic ethers are shown to be identical with the well‐known processes of linear nonbranched ethers, i.e. predominant α‐fisson in the lower members and predominant carbon‐oxygen fisson with charge retention on the carbon atom in the higher members.