Mass spectra of 4,4-dimethyl-A-homocholestane-3,5- and 3,4a diols and their derivatives

Partial mass spectra of the following 4,4-dimethyl-A-homocholestane derivatives are given: 3,5-epoxides I and II, 3,5-diols III-VI, 3-methoxy-5-ols VII-IX, 3-acetoxy-5-ol X, 3,4a-diols XI-XIV, 3-acetoxy-4a-ols XV-XVIII and 4,4-[2H6]-dimethyl-3,4a-diol XIX, and their electron impact fragmentation investigated. The mass spectra of epoxides I and II, diols III-VI and acetate X are very similar. Considerable differences in mass spectra of methoxy derivatives VII-IX are explained by two mechanisms of elimination of CH3OH from M+. The same similarity of the fragmentation processes and the mass spectra is also observed in diols XI-XIV and acetates XV-XVIII. For the formation of the characteristic ion m/z 288 a fragmentation scheme containing an usual cleavage of the rings A, B, and C is proposed. On the basis of comparison with the mass spectrum of the 4,4-[2H6]dimethyl analogue XIX it was shown that the ion m/z 361 in the mass spectra of diols XI-XIV is formed by elimination of the neutral fragment C6H13 from A-ring of the molecular ion, the last process being accompanied by the 3-hydroxyl transfer from A-ring to the rest of the molecular ion.