Rearrangements in Sulphoxides and Sulphones Induced by Electron Impact

The survey covers processes involving the isomerisation of molecular ions and the rearrangement of ionic fragments during the initial stages of the dissociative ionisation of sulphoxides and sulphones on electron bombardment. Characteristic ions are formed by skeletal rearrangements, in particular by migration of an alkyl or an aryl group from the sulphur to an oxygen atom. The relative statistical weight of a particular structure of a molecular ion is the main factor determining subsequent competitive decomposition paths of the primary ionic fragments. A list of 82 references is included.