Ambulation of Incipient Proton during Gas-Phase Dissociation of Protonated Alkyl Dihydrocinnamates

Upon activation in the gas phase, protonated alkyl dihydrocinnamates undergo an alcohol loss. However, the mechanism followed is not a simple removal of an alkanol molecule after a protonation on the alkoxy group. The mass spectrum of the m/z 166 ion for deuteron-charged methyl dihydrocinnamate showed two peaks of 1:5 intensity ratio at m/z 133 and 134 to confirm that the incipient proton is mobile. The proton initially attached to the carbonyl...