On the structure of water-alcohol and ammonia-alcohol protonated clusters

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) of protonated ammonia-alcohol and water-alcohol heteroclusters was studied using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with a corona discharge atmospheric pressure ionization source. CID results suggested that the ammonia-alcohol clusters had NH + 4 at the core of the cluster and that hydrogen-bonded alcohol molecules solvated this central ion. In contrast, CID results in water-alcohol clusters showed that water loss was strongly favored over alcohol loss and that there was a preference for the charge to reside on an alcohol molecule. The results also indicated that a loose chain of hydrogen-bonded molecules was formed in the water-alcohol clusters and that there appeared to be no rigid protonation site or a fixed central ion.