A crescente demanda por água doce de boa qualidade, associada ao aumento na frequência de florações tóxicas de cianobactérias em reservatórios utilizados para consumo humano, levou à publicação da Portaria nº. 518/04 pelo Ministério da Saúde. Entre outros parâmetros de potabilidade, as empresas fornecedoras de água tratada devem realizar o monitoramento de cianotoxinas. Para tanto, métodos analíticos rápidos e precisos para a determinação destes compostos são imprescindíveis. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo empregar a cromatografia líquida acoplada à espectrometria de massas para o estudo das principais cianotoxinas em território nacional: microcistinas, anatoxina-a(s), cilindrospermopsina e saxitoxinas. Os resultados obtidos estão distribuídos em capítulos específicos dedicados a cada grupo de toxinas. Dessa forma, o primeiro capítulo apresenta um estudo de fragmentação na fase gasosa de ânions de microcistinas em um equipamento do tipo orbitrap. É demonstrado que o modo negativo de ionização por electrospray fornece informações estruturais importantes e complementares ao modo positivo de ionização. Uma abertura seletiva do peptídeo cíclico é proposta e mecanismos discutidos, o que facilita a interpretação de resultados durante a caracterização de variantes desconhecidas. O modelo de fragmentação desenvolvido foi utilizado para identificar a variante [Leu1]MC-LR em um extrato de Microcystis spp. O segundo capítulo descreve metodologias qualitativas de LC/MS para o monitoramento e identificação do organofosforado natural anatoxina-a(s), cuja análise é prejudicada pela ausência de padrões comerciais. A cromatografia de interação hidrofílica foi empregada e mecanismos de fragmentação na fase gasosa propostos, discutindo-se os íons característicos desta estrutura química. Tal modelo permitiu a identificação desta toxina nas cepas de Anabaena oumiana ITEP-25 e ITEP-26 pela primeira vez. O terceiro capítulo disserta sobre os mecanismos de fragmentação na fase gasosa da toxina cilindrospermopsina quando ionizada por electrospray na forma de aduto com metais alcalinos. Diferenças nas vias de fragmentação são demonstradas de acordo com o raio atômico do metal formador do aduto, com implicações práticas na sua determinação cromatográfica. Já o quarto capítulo discute os mecanismos de fragmentação de variantes sulfatadas de saxitoxinas (GTX1e4, GTX2e3, dcGTX2e3, GTX5) após ionização por electrospray no modo positivo e negativo. É demonstrado pela primeira vez que uma conformação estrutural específica do grupamento sulfato explica a intensa eliminação de SO3 observada para as variantes GTX1, GTX2 e dcGTX2 no modo positivo de ionização. Por outro lado, o modo negativo de ionização apresenta vantagens uma vez que a dissociação na fonte é insignificante se comparada à dissociação observada no modo positivo. Como resultado, métodos quantitativos no modo negativo podem apresentar maior sensibilidade, permitindo a detecção destas toxinas em amostras ambientais em quantidades mais baixas. De maneira geral, conclui-se que a cromatografia líquida acoplada à espectrometria de massas é ferramenta poderosa para a análise quali e quantitativa das principais cianotoxinas, podendo ser amplamente empregada para o monitoramento de água para consumo humano. / The increasing occurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in reservoirs used to supply drinking water for human consumption has prompted the publication of resolution 518/04 by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Among other quality requirements, the monitoring of cyanotoxins in treated water is mandatory for companies responsible for potable water distribution. Therefore, precise and rapid analytical methods are essential. In this context, the aim of this work is to employ liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to study the most important cyanotoxins in our country: microcystins, anatoxin-a(s), cylindrospermopsis and saxitoxins. The obtained results are distributed in four chapters, each one dedicated to a single group of toxins. In this way, chapter one presents the gas-phase fragmentation behavior of deprotonated microcystins in an Orbitrap instrument. It is demonstrated that electrospray negative ionization can provide significant structural information about microcystins. These results are complementary to the positive ionization mode. A selective ring opening process is proposed and possible mechanisms are discussed, which may facilitate data interpretation when unknown variants are considered. The general fragmentation model was further applied to the characterization of [Leu1]MC-LR in a Microcystis spp. cell extract. The second chapter describes qualitative analytical methods for the identification of anatoxin-a(s), a natural organophosphate whose determination is hampered by the lack of commercial standards. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography was employed and fragmentation mechanisms proposed, identifying the characteristic product ions of this toxin. The developed methods were further used to identify anatoxin-a(s) for the first time in Anabaena oumiana strains ITEP-25 and ITEP-26. The third chapter presents data related to the gas-phase fragmentation behavior of cylindrospermospin when this toxin is ionized as metal adducts. Different fragmentation pathways are accessed depending on the atomic radius of the metal cation involved. Practical implications for the chromatographic analysis of this toxin are presented. The last chapter describes the fragmentation behavior of sulphate-containing saxitoxin variants (GTX1&4, GTX2&3, dcGTX2&3, GTX5) after electrospray ionization in both the positive and negative modes. A mechanism for the intense SO3 elimination from [M+H]+ ions from GTX1, GTX2 and dcGTX2 is proposed for the first time and relies on a specific structure conformation. On the other hand, the negative ionization mode shows much less in-source dissociation when compared to the positive mode. As a consequence, methods based on negative ionization might be more sensitive for sulfate-containing variants, allowing the detection of lower amounts of these toxins in environmental samples. At the end, it can be concluded that liquid chromatography is a well-suited and powerful technique for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cyanotoxins, being an invaluable contribution to water safety evaluation.

Lignin, the second most abundant naturally occurring polymer found in plant cell wall has the potential of becoming an alternative source for the production of chemical synthons for the pharmaceuticals and other chemical industries. While much gain has been made towards the development of degradation methods to break down lignin, effective analytical methods are still required to rapidly and accurately identify the products of lignin breakdown experiments. The goal of this work was to develop mass spectrometric methods for the characterization of lignin oligomers based on the study of model lignin compounds. Unlike peptides and oligosaccharides, lignin model compounds that could serve as analytical standards for methods developments are not commercially available, and hence, the first project of this dissertation focused on the synthesis of lignin model compounds containing the β-O-4 bond. The priority was to synthesize compounds containing all important functionalities that reflect the structure of native lignin. By employing the known Aldol reaction, lignin oligomers containing the β-O-4 were synthesized. The synthesized β-O-4 lignin oligomers contained the characteristic functional groups of native β-O-4 lignin, that is, the phenolic functionality, the aryl glycerol β-O-4 aryl ether bond and the unsaturated side chain. The second project was aimed at developing alternative ionization methods for the characterization of lignin in the negative ion mode mass spectrometry. A chloride adduct ionization method was developed and used for characterizing and sequencing lignin oligomers. This method proved to be very useful in stabilizing the adduct ion in the full scan spectrum mode and also providing useful structural information upon tandem mass spectrometry. In the third project, a cationization technique was developed to unambiguously assign the sequence in which β-O-4 lignin oligomers are connected. A simple and easy to use sequencing chart was designed and could serve as a guide for predicting the sequence of larger lignin oligomers. This method offers an alternative approach for the characterization of lignin oligomers in the positive ion mode mass spectrometry. The fourth project focused on the ionization response of a new class of β-O-4 lignin compounds. β-O-4 compounds having the same skeletal backbone but different non-polar groups at the a-position were synthesized, and their ESI response studied. Results from this study show that a slight change in the structure of a β-O-4 lignin model compound can change the cationization response to several order of magnitude. Most importantly, this work for the first time has shown a direct correlation between lignin ionization response and lignin structure. The fifth project was aimed at studying the chromatographic behavior of the diastereomer pair in β-O-4 lignin model compounds. Using three commercially available HPLC columns, the chromatographic behavior and factors that affect the separation of the diastereomer pair of the β-O-4 lignin diastereomer on an HPLC column were studied. By performing tandem mass spectrometry on each of the diastereomers, a fragmentation mechanism was developed that could be used to unambiguous assign the configuration (erythro or threo) for the pair of diastereomer in a β-O-4 model. The results presented in this dissertation adds significant knowledge to the lignin mass spectrometry literature, and it offers new ionization techniques for the characterization of lignin oligomers, most importantly, an alternative approach for lignin analysis using adduct ionization mass spectrometry. The developed methods could easily be extended for the characterization of larger lignin oligomers.

Orientadores: Fernando Antônio Santos Coelho, Marcos Nogueira Eberlin / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T09:36:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Regiani_Thais_M.pdf: 3410899 bytes, checksum: 644a869c89a9637d8fd2d96a7f65ce6f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Essa dissertação visa explorar o mecanismo da reação de aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman (aza-MBH) por espectrometria de massas (ESI-MS). Essa técnica está bem consolidada para o estudo do mecanismo de reações orgânicas. Os dados disponíveis na literatura assumem que o mecanismo dessa reação é similar ao da reação de Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) convencional. Entretanto, existem várias versões assimétricas para a reação de aza-MBH que podem ser consideradas como gerais, o que não ocorre com a reação de MBH. Sendo assim o objetivo desse trabalho foi conhecer as etapas envolvidas no mecanismo da reação de aza-MBH e fornecer subsídios para explicar os pontos em que esses mecanismos diferem. Avaliamos a influência do uso de diferentes bases terciária e de olefinas na reação de aza-MBH. Interceptamos e caracterizamos dois novos intermediários de m/z 665 e m/z 777 que aparentemente desempenham um importante papel no ciclo catalítico da reação de aza-MBH. A formação desses intermediários foi corroborada em um estudo envolvendo o propiolato de metila como componente nucleofílico da reação de aza-MBH. Em outra parte de trabalho monitoramos por ESI-MS uma reação de MBH para demonstrar a habilidade de um aduto de MBH como uma fonte de próton para a etapa lenta da reação. Assim, um aduto contendo um átomo de bromo foi utilizado como fonte de próton. Fomos capazes de interceptar e caracterizar intermediários nos quais essa fonte de próton (aduto MBH bromado) estava ligada. Esses resultados são uma evidência experimental do processo de autocatálise que pode ocorrer durante o desenvolvimento dessa reação. Finalmente, um monitoramento on-line por espectrometria de massas de uma reação de MBH convencional nos permitiu realizar um estudo cinético dessa reação. Esse monitoramento foi realizado utilizando uma nova fonte de ionização ambiente, baseada na ionização por Sonic Spray (V-EASI). A curva cinética nos permitiu acompanhar a reação em tempo real e observar a formação de todos os intermediários transientes do seu ciclo catalítico / Abstract: This dissertation aimed at exploring the monitoring of the mechanism of the aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction (aza-MBH) by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). This technique is well established for studying the mechanism of organic reactions. Normally, it is assumed that the mechanism of the aza-MBH reaction is quite similar to the conventional Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction. However, there are several general asymmetric versions for the aza-MBH reaction, which does not occur with the MBH reaction. The aim of this study was to understand the steps involved in the mechanism of aza-MBH reaction and provide evidences to explain the points at which these mechanisms would differ. We have evaluated the behavior of bases and acrylates often used in the reaction of aza-MBH. We were able to intercept and characterize by tandem MS/MS two new intermediate of m/z 665 and m/z 777 which apparently play an important role in the catalytic cycle of the aza-MBH reaction. The formation of these intermediates was corroborated in a study involving methyl propiolate as nucleophilic for a aza-MBH reaction. The two intermediates have never been cited or featured in this reaction. In another part of this work we monitored a MBH reaction by ESI-MS in order to evaluate the ability of a MBH adduct act as a proton source in the rate-determining step (RDS) of this reaction. Thus, a brominated adduct was used as a source of proton in an anhydrous medium. We were able to isolate and characterize intermediates in which the proton source (brominated adduct MBH) was on. These results provide experimental evidence that the process of autocatalysis may occur during the development of this reaction. Finally, an on-line monitoring of a conventional Morita-Baylis-Hillman by mass spectrometry enabled us to perform a kinetic study of this reaction. This monitoring was carried out using a new ionization source environment based on Sonic Spray ionization (V-EASI). The kinetic curve allowed us to monitor the reaction in real time and observe the formation of all transient intermediates which participate in its catalytic cycle / Mestrado / Quimica Organica / Mestre em Química

Orientador: Marcos Nogueira Eberlin / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-05T22:32:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Araujo_AlexssanderShigueru_M.pdf: 1968140 bytes, checksum: 0d036f92f1c6b65bc08f48a9c3b500ef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Mestrado / Quimica Organica / Mestre em Química

Recent advancements in cancer research has led to the synthesis of a new drug known as docetaxel. Meant to replace paclitaxel, its more natural counterpart whose ingredients are difficult to obtain, the drug is known to effectively treat a wide array of cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer. The establishment of a synthetic alternative to paclitaxel has increased its bioavailability, thereby lowering the cost needed to utilize the drug. Still, the limiting factor in minimizing costs is the method in which the drug is processed. Current methods in drug processing have their limitations, which include the introduction of impurities and a low effective yield due to poor powder geometry. Thus, the goal of this study looks to explore a new way to process the drug in a more efficient manner. In this study, a new method for processing docetaxel is explored on in great detail. A more direct method of using electrospray deposition is utilized for the creation of monodisperse nanoparticles, with the main intention of increasing the efficiency at which the drug is processed and prepared for drug delivery to the patient by means of injection. A key feature in electrospray deposition is its ability to produce droplets that are sized homogenously. These droplets eventually evaporate at homogenous rates. These two concepts have been exploited to consistently produce nanoparticles of the cancer drug, which is made possible by the fact that the minimal variation in droplet sizes has easily translated to minimal variation in dry particle sizes. Compared to other methods of drug processing, one other benefit that electrospray deposition conveys is that through evaporation, virtually all impurities and unwanted foreign material are eliminated.

No description available.

This thesis explores the use of mass spectrometry to define the strengths, and understand solution phase speciation of phenolic oxime-based solvent extractants of the types used in the hydrometallurgical recovery of copper. Chapter 1 reviews briefly the current extraction technology for copper and focuses on hydrometallurgy and the use of phenolic oximes such as 5-nonylsalicylaldoxime. The modification of the latter to improve extraction efficiency is discussed, focussing on the introduction of X-substituents in the 3 position of the benzene ring. Modern mass spectrometry techniques are also discussed with a focus on their application to inorganic systems and their use in achieving the aims of this thesis, as defined above. The work described in chapter 2 involves the development of collision induced dissociation (CID) techniques to determine the relative gas phase stabilities of copper complex anions of the type [Cu(L)(L-H)]-, where LH is a 5-alkyl-3-X-2- hydroxybenzaldehyde oximes and X a range of substituents. The importance of interligand interactions in the outer-coordination sphere and their influence on gas phase anion stability, as defined by CID, is reported. The work described in Chapter 2 on CID is extended in chapter 3 and looks at the effect of charge, of ligand type, LH, and of the nature of the metal on the stability of ionic forms of [M(L)2] complexes, where LH is extended to include 5-alkyl-2- hydroxyphenylethanone oximes. The effects of substitution at the azomethine carbon atom and at the 3-position of the benzene ring and of variation of the nature of the metal on the ion dissociation mechanisms are shown to have a major influence on ion stability under CID conditions. In chapter 4 density functional theory calculations have been used to investigate the influences of substitution at the azomethine carbon atom and at the 3-position of the benzene ring and of variation of the nature of the metal on the gas phase structures of the neutral complexes, [M(L)2]. Gas phase deprotonation and dimerisation enthalpies of the ligands, LH, and enthalpies of formation of [M(L)2] complexes have been calculated and correlates with experimentally determined ligand extraction strength. The ligand type has been extended to include 3-X-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde hydrazones, which have previously been shown to have lower distribution coefficients for copper than the analogous 3-X-substituted oximes. The calculated gas phase formation enthalpies for [M(L)2] show a strong correlation with the strengths as extractants LH, measured as their pH0.5 values for metal uptake. Chapter 5 considers whether mass spectrometry can be used to define the solution equilibria when two different oxime-based ligands, LXH and LYH, compete for Cu(II) in a single phase solution. It has been established that shifts in the relative peak intensities of deprotonated ions derived from the Cu(II) complexes, [Cu(LX)2], [Cu(LY)2] and [Cu(LX)(LY)] reflect changes in the solution composition. The work described in chapter 6 extends the study of solution phase speciation using mass spectrometry. When the Cu(II) and proton concentrations of solutions were varied distinct changes in the resulting electrospray mass spectra were observed and the resulting species were identified using CID and high resolution mass spectrometry. A novel, [Cu3(L-H)3-μ3-O/OH]- species is determined to be a major component of solutions where Cu(II) concentrations are equal to/greater than the LH concentration. Various 3-X-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde oximes (X = CH2NR2) were synthesised. The incorporation of a protonatable arm in the 3-position enabled trinuclear complexes, [Cu3(L-H)3-μ3-OH], to be isolated and fully characterized, including two X-ray determined crystal structures.

Eleven tested anions were able to form adducts with neutral oligosaccharides at low cone voltage in negative ion mode electrospray mass spectrometry. Among them, fluoride and acetate have the abilities to significantly enhance the absolute abundance of [M-H]- for neutral oliogosaccharides. The chloride adduct has the best stability among all the adduct species investigated. For the above three anions, CID of adduct species may be used for structural determination of neutral oligosaccharides. In the presence of F- and Ac-, simultaneous detection of acidic oligosaccharides and neutral oligosaccharides was achieved. The ratio of Cl- : non-Cl-containing product ions obtained in CID spectra of chloride adducts of disaccharides was used to differentiate anomeric configurations of disaccharides. Density functional theory (DFT) was employed to evaluate the optimized structures of chloride adducts of disaccharides. The formation and decomposition of chloride adducts with oligosaccharides of different acidities were investigated in MALDI mass spectrometry.

The principal aim of this study was to discover, through virtual screening, new nonimmunosuppressive inhibitors for the human immunophilin FKBP12, a target of the immunosuppressant drugs rapamycin and FK506. The enzyme acts as peptidyl-prolyl isomerase catalysing protein folding in the cell. Structurally similar isomerase domains are important for molecular recognition in multi-domain chaperone proteins. FKBP inhibitors have been shown to have protective effects against nerve damage and are therefore interesting targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Virtual screening has been used to discover novel inhibitors for protein drug targets. Recent advances in computational power and the availability of large virtual libraries, such as the EDULISS database at Edinburgh University, have enhanced the appeal of this approach. X-ray structures of known protein-ligand complexes were examined to obtain an understanding of the key non-covalent interactions in the FKBP12 binding pocket. Virtual screening hits were selected using macromolecular docking and programs that employed a ligand-based approach. The bulk of the virtual screening in this study used Edinburgh University’s in-house program LIDAEUS. In the course of this study nearly three hundred compounds were screened in the laboratory using biophysical and biochemical binding assays. Thirty four compounds were found to have an affinity for FKBP12 of less than one hundred micromolar. To test virtual hits, it was necessary to select the most appropriate medium-throughput biophysical assay. The aim was to employ methods with sufficient sensitivity to detect compounds with affinity in the order of one hundred micromolar, coupled with the capacity to screen hundreds of compounds in a week. This study used a wide variety of biophysical techniques, these including: electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry. There was a particular emphasis on the quality of data from electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. A correlation was found between the cone voltages that gave 50 % dissociation of the complex with the enthalpic contribution to the free energy of binding. From the careful examination of the differences in charge-state distributions between a pure protein and a protein-ligand mixture, it was possible to determine if a protein-ligand complex had been present in solution prior to dissociation during the electrospray process. This observation provides the basis for an assay that could be of general utility in detecting very weak inhibitors.

L'héparine (Hp) est un polysaccharide sulfaté appartenant à la famille des glycosaminoglycanes (GAGs), et est constitué d'unités de répétition disaccharidiques composées d’un acide hexauronique lié par une liaison α1→4 à un résidu hexosamine. La sulfatation de ce polysaccharide peut avoir lieu sur les positions 6-O ou N du glucosamine, mais également sur la position 2-O de l'acide hexauronique. En général, les GAGs sont O-liés aux chaînes latérales des protéoglycanes, et sont associés à un nombre important d'activités physiologiques, généralement reliées à leur interaction avec diverses protéines. Dans certains cas, cette interaction peut-être influencée par la liaison à ces complexes Hp/protéine d'ions métalliques naturels. Ceux-ci influencent l'affinité, la spécificité et la stabilité de ces complexes. En dépit de sa pertinence, le mécanisme par lequel un cation métallique module l'activité de l'héparine au sein des complexes Hp-protéine, reste largement méconnu.Un éventail de stratégies et d'outils ont été développés afin de faciliter la détermination des structures primaires des biomolécules par spectrométrie de masse en tandem (MS/MS). En effet, la caractérisation structurale de l'héparine sulfatée et de ses complexes métalliques a été soutenue par le développement de techniques de spectrométrie de masse. Dans certains cas, il a été observé que lors de l'activation par dissociation induite par collision (CID), certains de ces isomères d'héparine partageaient à peu près les mêmes schémas de fragmentation, compliquant de ce fait le processus d'identification de ces composés. Néanmoins, des études réalisées au LAMBE ont montré que la réactivité en phase gazeuse des ions métalliques pouvait aider à la différenciation d'isomères saccharidiques. Ces études peuvent être utiles non seulement du point de vue purement analytique, mais également parce que le comportement différent des isomères envers un métal donnée conduit à informations sur le processus d'interaction Hp/Métal mis en jeu. Cela peut s’avérer important pour interpréter les mécanismes biologiques mentionnées auparavant.Dugourd et al ont récemment rapporté les spectres optiques et les motifs de photodissociation de différents oligosaccharides sous irradiation UV. En terme de chemins de fragmentation, il a été observé que les spectres de photodissociation Ultraviolet (UVPD) apparaissaient être plus informatifs que la CID en raison de clivages à travers les cycles supplémentaires, qui fournissent une information sur la position du groupe sulfate. Le spectre optique des disaccharides sulfatés est caractérisé par une bande large et intense centrée vers 240 nm. Suite à ces résultats, nous nous sommes intéressés au couplage de la spectroscopie optique et des calculs théoriques pour les disaccharides d'héparine, et avons employé la spectroscopie UVPD afin d’obtenir des informations complémentaires sur les interactions de ces sucres avec les métaux.Comme décrit auparavant, les processus CID représentent un outil très précieux pour la caractérisation structurale des biomolécules. Motivés par des travaux antérieurs publiés par W. Hase et K. Song, nous avons collaboré avec les groupe de R. Spezia et T. Riera afin de parvenir à une meilleure compréhension du processus MS/MS des sucres et des peptides protonés. Les mécanismes CID de modèles simples, N-Formylalanylamide (HCO-Ala-NH2) et Galactose-6-Sulfate, ont été étudiés par des simulations de dynamique moléculaire QM+MM et des expériences MS/MS. Les objectifs de cette thèse étaient les suivants: i) explorer la possibilité d'utiliser le calcium métallique à des fins analytiques ii) fournir de nouvelles données sur la nature de l’interaction Hp/Ca2+ en utilisant une stratégie multi-approches combinant plusieurs techniques expérimentales et de calculs quantiques iii) étudier le processus CID de différents systèmes par des simulations de dynamique moléculaire. / Heparin (Hp) is a sulfated polysaccharide composed of repeating dissacharide units of hexauronic acid linked (α1→4) to an hexosamine residue that belongs to the family of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Sulfation can occur at the 6-O and/or N-positions of the gluscosamine, as well as the 2-O position of the hexauronic acid. GAGs usually exist as the O-linked side-chains of proteoglycans, associated with numerous important physiological activities, generally related to their interaction with diverse proteins. In some cases, this interaction can be influenced by the binding of natural metal ions to these Hp/protein complexes. Their role is usually pertained to the affinity, specificity and stability of these complexes. Despite its relevance, the mechanism by which the cation modulates heparin activity in Hp-protein complexes is largely unknown. A range of strategies and tools has been developed to facilitate the determination of primary structures of analyte molecules of interest via tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). In fact, structural characterization of heparin sulfated and its metal complexes has been sustained by the development of mass spectrometry techniques. In some cases, it was observed that upon collision-induced dissociation (CID) activation, some of these heparin-like isomers share nearly the same fragmentation patterns, turning the identification process into a complicated step. Nevertheless, a few years ago, our group showed that the gas-phase reactivity of metal ions can shed light into differentiating isomeric saccharides. These studies can be useful for two reasons: just for purely analytical purposes and also because the different behavior of the isomers towards the metal gives information about the Hp/Metal interaction. This might be important to explain the biological considerations mentioned before. Moreover, Dugourd et al recently reported the optical spectra and photodissociation patterns of different Hp oligosaccharides under UV irradiation. In terms of fragmentation pathways, it was observed that Ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectra appear to be more informative than CID due to additional cross-ring cleavages that provide information about the sulfate group location. Remarkably, the optical spectrum is characterized by an intense broad band centered at 240 nm for sulfated disaccharides. Following these findings, we became interested in coupling optical spectroscopy and theoretical calculations in heparin disaccharides and developing an alternative strategy to characterize these metal interactions. As described before, CID processes are commonly used in several fields and represent a very valuable tool in protein or carbohydrate characterization. Motivated by previous work published by W. Hase and K. Song, we collaborated with R.Spezia and T. Riera’s group in order to achieve a better understanding of the MS/MS process of protonated peptides and sugars. CID mechanisms of simple models, N-Formylalanylamide (HCO-Ala-NH2) and Galactose-6-Sulfate, were studied by QM+MM chemical dynamics simulations and MS/MS experiments.