The fragmentation times corresponding to the loss of the chromophore (Cα-- Cβ bond dissociation channel) after photoexcitation at 263 nm have been investigated for several small peptides containing tryptophan or tyrosine. For tryptophan-containing peptides, the aromatic chromophore is lost as an ionic fragment (m/z 130), and the fragmentation time increases with the mass of the neutral fragment. In contrast, for tyrosine-containing peptides the aromatic chromophore is always lost as a neutral fragment (mass = 107 amu) and the fragmentation time is found to be fast (\textless{}20 ns). These different behaviors are explained by the role of the postfragmentation interaction in the complex formed after the Cα--Cβ bond cleavage.
@article{arxiv.1506.05559,
title = {Ion-Induced Dipole Interactions and Fragmentation Times : C$\alpha$ -C$\beta$ Chromophore Bond Dissociation Channel},
author = {Satchin Soorkia and Christophe Dehon and Sunil Kumar and Marie Pérot-Taillandier and Bruno Lucas and Christophe Jouvet and Michel Barat and Jacqueline A. Fayeton},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1506.05559},
year = {2015}
}