Analysis of Butyl Butyrate Mass Spectrum

The aim of this educational work is targeting chemistry students and interested instructors. The presented work will analyze the mass spectrum of butyl butyrate (butyl butanoate). The analysis will concentrate on the mechanisms showing how the characteristic fragments are formed. The mechanisms discussed in this paper include α-cleavage, β-cleavage, McLafferty Rearrangements, first and second proton transfer, a double proton transfer.