Nonrandomization of Energy in Chemically Activated 2-Butanone Ions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100237a001

Both CH3CH2C(=⁺OH)C^.H2 and CH3C^.HC(=⁺OH)CH3 isomerize to 2-butanone ion and than lose methyl or ethyl in the mass spectrometer.More translational energy is released in the loss of methyl from CH3CH2C(=⁺OH)C^.H2 than from CH3C^.HC(=⁺OH)CH3, while the energies released in the losses of ethyl are in the opposite order.The opposite order of energies released is attributed to nonrandomization of energy in the 2-butanone ion formed from at least one of its enol isomers.The nonrandom energy distribution would have to be created in the first of the two steps in the rearrangement to the 2- butanone ion, and so may survive a second izomerization.