Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with collision-induced dissociation (ESI-MS/MS) was utilized to study the gas phase fragmentation of uranyl peroxide nanoclusters with hydroxo, peroxo, oxalate, and pyrophosphate bridging ligands. These nanoclusters fragment into uranium monomers and dimers with mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios in the 280-380 region. The gas phase fragmentation of each cluster studied yields a distinct UO6 - anion attributed to the cleavage of a uranyl ion bound to 2 peroxide groups, along with other anions that can be attributed to the initial composition of the nanoclusters.
Keywords: actinide gas phase chemistry; collision induced dissociation; electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; uranium aqueous speciation; uranyl peroxide nanoclusters.
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