The Behavior of 1-Phenyl-2-benzimidazolinethione and 1-Phenyl-2-benzimidazolinone upon Electron Impact and Pyrolysis

Abstract

The mass spectra of 1-phenyl-2-benzimidazolinethione (3) and 1-phenyl-2-benzimidazolinone (4) have been compared with their pyrolysis products and similarities have been found. In the 70 eV mass spectrum of 3, the base peak results from the loss of H•; at low ionizing voltages, this path and a competing path, loss of S, are the only ones which remain. At 650° in a stream of N2, 1-phenylbenzimidazole (8, 20%) formed from the loss of S and benzimidazo-[2,1-b]benzothiazole (5, 11%) formed by loss of H2. The major fragmentation paths in the mass spectrum of 4 are loss of CHO• and NCO•. At 950°, phenazine (6, 35%) formed by loss of CH2O, and carbazole (7, 14%) formed by loss of HNCO. In each pyrolysis, 65–70% of the starting material was recovered or accounted for.