The reactivity of metallated nitrenium ions studied by FT-ICR

The reactivity of two metallated nitrenium ions toward various substrates was examined in the gas phase. The nitrenium ions were generated by a reaction of benzoyl azide with laser-ablated Mg+ or Cu+ in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. The two nitrenium ions show drastically different reactivity. While the Mg-nitrenium ion reacts by radical mechanisms (e.g., H atom abstraction), the Cu-nitrenium ion follows non-radical pathways (e.g., metal ion transfer). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.