Oxygen equilibration in the mass spectra of 2-benzoylbenzoic acid

Positional integrity of the label is maintained in the molecular ions of 2-ben~oyl[18O]benzoic acid prior to a number of primary fragmentation modes. Positional integrity is also evident for some source and metastable reactions of the protonated molecular ions formed in its chemical ionization (H2) mass spectrum. The (M-Ph)+ ions formed in the electron impact mass spectrum, however, fragment further after complete equilibration of their oxygen atoms.