title: Gas chromatography mass spectrometry of some thermally labile urea pesticides.
abstract: The application of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to three thermally labile phenylurea pesticides is reported. Using alcohols as solvents the decomposition of the pesticides is followed by a reaction in which esters of N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)carbamic acid are formed. As these reactions occur during the gas chromatographic analysis, it is the esters which are identified in the mass spectrometer. The methyl ester is itself a pesticide so an erroneous conclusion about the original pesticide could be reached when methanol is the solvent.
mesh_terms: D004237:Diuron / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006540:Herbicides / Q000032:analysis*; D008044:Linuron / Q000032:analysis; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D008044:Linuron; C028818:neburon; D004237:Diuron