Unusual Fragmentations of Silylated Polyfluoroalkyl Compounds Induced by Electron Ionization

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent compounds that present analytical challenges due to their stability and low concentrations. In this study, electron ionization (EI) mass spectra of trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatized fluorinated alcohols and carboxylic acids were examined to improve PFAS identification in the NIST Mass Spectral Reference Library. In contrast with the spectra of unsubstituted alcohol TMS compounds featuring losses of hydrocarbons, fluorinated alcohol TMS derivatives are characterized by the losses of fluorinated silyl groups. For example, a previously unreported [M–111]⁺ ion was consistently observed in compounds containing three methylene groups between the hydroxyl group and the first CF₂ unit. Detailed quality assurance analysis using a suite of NIST software tools along with high-resolution TOF-MS confirmed the origin and elemental composition of these ions. MS² experiments and full scan of TMS derivatives of fluorinated alcohols with varying numbers of methylene groups investigations suggest the formation of a five-membered ring intermediate as a key feature in this unique fragmentation pathway. These findings improve our understanding of PFAS fragmentation and support more accurate compound identification in analytical workflows.