Fragmentation (chemistry)

In mass spectrometry, fragmentation is the dissociation of energetically unstable molecular ions formed from passing the molecules in the ionization chamber of a mass spectrometer. The fragments of a molecule cause a pattern in the mass spectrum used to determine structural information of the molecule.

Fragmentation can occur in the ion source (in-source fragmentation) where it is generally not a desired effect. Ion source conformation is an important criterion in the level of fragmentation observed.

Desired fragmentation is made in the collision zone (post-source fragmentation) of a tandem mass spectrometer. It is a part of gas phase ion chemistry and there are different types of mass fragmentation: collision-induced dissociation (CID), electron-capture dissociation (ECD), electron-transfer dissociation (ETD), negative electron-transfer dissociation (NETD), electron-detachment dissociation (EDD), photodissociation, particularly infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) and blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD), surface-induced dissociation (SID), Higher-energy C-trap dissociation (HCD), charge remote fragmentation.

Fragmentation is a type of chemical dissociation that can take place by a process of heterolysis or homolysis.

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