The smallest studied sheet (n = 5) exhibits a notably larger ionpairing energy (ca. 75 kJ mol -1 ) while the recently characterized large sheet (n = 26) shows an intermediate value of (60.8 kJ mol - 1 ) more comparable to other smaller sheets, including 16,6. Neither ΔEi or ΔGi-qh-tr values alone correlate well with the relative intensities of anions observed in ESI-MS monitoring experiments (Table ). This discrepancy is particularly evident for [n,4] -ion-pairs with (n = 6-8), where similar calculated ΔGi-qh-tr predict comparable stabilities, contrary to experimental observations under certain conditions. A more complete understanding emerges when incorporating neutral precursor stability into the analysis. The composite parameter, ΔΔG-qh-tr/n, which combines both ionization energetics and neutral stability, shows improved correlation with experimental anion intensities. This finding highlights the importance of the neutral precursor stability in determining the observed distribution of MAO anions.