Combined liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC−ESI-MS/MS) is a powerful method for the analysis of oxygenated metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids including eicosanoids. Here we describe the synthesis of a new derivatization reagent N-(4-aminomethylphenyl)pyridinium (AMPP) that can be coupled to eicosanoids via an amide linkage in quantitative yield. Conversion of the carboxylic acid of eicosanoids to a cationic AMPP amide improves sensitivity of detection by 10- to 20-fold compared to negative mode electrospray ionization detection of underivatized analytes. This charge reversal derivatization allows detection of cations rather than anions in the electrospray ionization mass spectrometer, which enhances sensitivity. Another factor is that AMPP amides undergo considerable collision-induced dissociation in the analyte portion rather than exclusively in the cationic tag portion, which allows isobaric derivatives to be distinguished by tandem mass spectrometry, and this further enhances sensitivity and specificity. This simple derivatization method allows prostaglandins, thromboxane B2, leukotriene B4, hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid isomers, and arachidonic acid to be quantified in complex biological samples with limits of quantification in the 200−900 fg range. One can anticipate that the AMPP derivatization method can be extended to other carboxylic acid analytes for enhanced sensitivity detection.

An efficient route to (Z)-(8-benzyloxy-8-oxooct-3-en-1-yl)triphenylphosphonium iodide, or BOTPPI, is disclosed, complete with full experimental details, NMR spectra, and HRMS data. BOTPPI serves as a surrogate for (Z)-(8-methoxy-8-oxooct-3-en-1-yl)triphenylphosphonium iodide, or MOTPPI, a Wittig salt previously used in two 12-HETE syntheses. BOTPPI has the advantage over MOTPPI of being derived from a sequence for which every intermediate is UV-active and amenable to large-scale chromatographic purification. A formal asymmetric total synthesis of 12-(S)-HETE is also reported, involving a stereoselective phase-transfer catalyzed (PTC) alkylation in its key step.