Positive and negative methanol cluster ions using a direct fast atom bombardment technique

Positive and negative cluster ions in methanol have been examined using a direct fast atom bombardment (FAB) probe technique. Positive ion (CH₃OH)_IIH ⁺ clusters with n = 1-28 have been observed and their clusters are the dominant ions in the low-mass region. Cluster-ion reaction products (CH₃OH)_II(H₂O)H⁺ and (CH₃OH)_II(CH₃OCH₃)H⁺ are observed for a wide range of n and the abundances of these ions decrease with increasing n. The negative ion (CH₃OH)_II(CH₃O)^? clusters are also readily observed with n = 0-24 and these form the most-abundant negative ion series at low n. The (CH₃OH)_II(CH₂O)^?, (CH₃OH)_II(H_IIO)(CH₂O)^? and (CH₃OH)_II(H₂OXCH₃O)^? cluster ions are formed and the abundances of these ions approach those of the (CH₃OH)_II(CH₃O)^? ion series at high n. Cluster-ion structures and energetics have been examined using semi-empirical molecular orbital methods.     

A comparison of the unimolecular decomposition pathways of some C7 and C8 ions in the gas phase

[CnH_2n?3]⁺ and [C_nH_2n?4]⁺·(n = 7, 8) ions have been generated in the mass spectrometer from C_nH_2n?3 Br (n = 7, 8) precursors and from two steroids. The relative abundances of competing ‘metastable transitionss’ indicate (partial) isomerization to a common structure (or mixture of structures) prior to decomposition in most examples of all four types of ions. In contrast, [C₈H₁₀O]⁺· and [C₈H₁₂O]⁺· ions, generated from different sources as molecular ions and by fragmentation of steroids, do not decompose through common-intermediates.     

激光溅射金属等离子体与醇类分子束反应的研究：产物离子对分子束状态的依赖性

The gas phase reactions of metal plasma with alcohol clusters were studied by time of flight mass spectrometry （TOFMS） using laser ablation-molecular beam （LAMB） method. The significant dependence of the product cluster ions on the molecular beam conditions was observed. When the plasma acted on the low density parts of the pulsed molecular beam, the metal-alcohol complexes M^＋An （M=Cu, Al, Mg, Ni and A=C2H5OH, CH3OH） were the dominant products, and the sizes of product ion clusters were smaller. While the plasma acted on the high density part of the beam, however, the main products turned to be protonated alcohol clusters H^＋An and, as the reactions of plasma with methanol were concerned, the protonated water-methanol complexes H3O^＋（CH3OH）n with a larger size （n≤12 for ethanol and n≤24 for methanol）. Similarly, as the pressure of the carrier helium gas was varied from 1 × 10^5 to 5 × 10^5 Pa, the main products were changed from M^＋An to H^＋An and the sizes of the clusters also increased. The changes in the product clusters were attributed to the different formation mechanism of the output ions, that is, the M^＋An ions came from the reaction of metal ion with alcohol clusters, while H^＋An mainly from collisional reaction of electron with alcohol clusters.     

Temperature Dependence of the Isobutane Chemical Ionization Mass Spectra of Open-chain and Cyclic Alcohols; Structural,Stereochemical and Molecular-Size Effects. A reevaluation of the isobutane chemical ionization of alcohols

The temperature dependence of the isobutane chemical ionization (CI.) mass spectra of 54 open-chain, cyclic and unsaturated C₅- to C₁₀-alcohols was studied at temperatures ranging from 60 to 250°, and enthalpy changes were calculated for the corresponding main reactions of typical alcohols. The CI. reactivity is controlled by the temperature and the substrate structure as usual, and in addition, by the molecular size. The combination of thermal, structural and substrate-size effects leads to the following main conclusions. At low-reactivity conditions, i.e. at 150° or less, the alcohols with less than 11 C-atoms give four distinct types of spectra, with (M – OH)⁺ usually as the base peak. The characteristic ions are MC₄H₉⁺ and (M – H)⁺ for primary, MH⁺ and (MC₄H₉ – H₂O)⁺ for secondary, (MC₄H₉ – H₂O)⁺ for tertiary and allyl-type alcohols. Configurational assignments of stereoisomeric alcohols are also possible, by means of steric compression and shielding effects. The MH⁺/(M – OH)⁺ ratio in the spectra of epimeric methylcyclohexanols is at least 3 to 4 times higher for the isomers with mainly axial OH-group conformation compared to the equatorial isomers. Stereospecific (M - H)⁺ ions are apparently formed from trans-2-methylcyclopentanol and endo-norbornan-2-ol by a favorable abstraction of the unshielded H(α)-atoms versus normal behavior of the other epimers. While the spectra recorded at 200° show almost exclusively (M – OH)⁺ ions, those at 250° give nevertheless some C-skeleton information through the temperature dependent decomposition of the (M – OH)⁺ ions.     

Electronic structure and reactivity of Mg+(H2O)n cluster ions

Electronically excited states of magnesium-water cluster ions, Mg⁺(H₂O) _n ,n=1–5, are studied by photodissociation after mass selection. The observed photodissociation spectra are assigned to the²P–²S type transitions localized on the Mg⁺ ion with the aid of ab initio CI calculations. In addition to evaporation of water molecules, photoinduced intracluster reaction to produce MgOH⁺(H₂O) _n is found to occur efficiently, with pronounced size dependence. The intriguing features observed in the mass spectrum of nascent cluster ions are discussed in relation to the stepwise solvation of this reaction.     

Electron impact ionization of ethylene–methanol heteroclusters: Stable configurations and mechanisms in intracluster ion–molecule reactions

Reactions that proceed within mixed ethylene–methanol cluster ions were studied using an electron impact time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The ion abundance ratio, [(C₂H₄)_n(CH₃OH)_mH⁺]/[(C₂H₄)_n(CH₃OH)_m⁺], shows a propensity to increase as the ethylene/methanol mixing ratio increases, indicating that the proton is preferentially bound to a methanol molecule in the heterocluster ions. The results from isotope-labelling experiments indicate that the effective formation of a protonated heterocluster is responsible for ethylene molecules in the clusters. The observed (C₂H₄)_n(CH₃OH)_m⁺ and (C₂H₄)_n(CH₃OH)_m–1CH₃O⁺ ions are interpreted as a consequence of the ion–neutral complex and intracluster ion–molecule reaction, respectively. Experimental evidence for the stable configurations of heterocluster species is found from the distinct abundance distributions of these ions and also from the observation of fragment peaks in the mass spectra. Investigations on the relative cluster ion distribution under various conditions suggest that (C₂H₄)_n(CH₃OH)_mH⁺ ions with n + m ≤ 3 have particularly stable structures. The result is understood on the basis of ion–molecule condensation reactions, leading to the formation of fragment ions, $ {\rm CH}_2=\!=\mathop {\rm O}\limits^ + {\rm CH}_3 $ and (CH₃OH)H₃O⁺, and the effective stabilization by a polar molecule. The reaction energies of proposed mechanisms are presented for (C₂H₄)_n(CH₃OH)_mH⁺(n + m ≤ 3) using semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations.     

Fragmentation of pyrazolecarbaldehyde thio- and dithioacetals under electron impact and chemical ionization

The mass spectra of 1-substituted 3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde bis(2-hydroxyethyl) dithioacetals and thioacetals were studied for the first time. The main fragmentation pathways of their molecular ions generated under electron impact and chemical ionization were similar. Primary decomposition of the molecular ions of bis(2-hydroxyethyl) dithioacetals involves elimination of 2-sulfanylethanol molecule with formation of the corresponding 1,3-oxathiolane radical cation. Fragmentation of the molecular ions [M]⁺ · and [M + H]⁺ derived from 2-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1,4,6-oxadithiocanes includes cleavage of the eight-membered heteroring and elimination of C₄H₉OS ·. Substituents in the heteroring of pyrazolecarbaldehydes inhibit decomposition processes related to the aldehyde group.     

Repeller-Induced dissociation of alkyl alcohols in thermospray mass spectrometry

Six alkyl alcohols were studied using thermospray mass Spectrometry. Whereas the dominant ion in the spectrum up to a repeller potential of 120 V was [M + NH₄]⁺, above that potential [M + H]⁺ and fragment ions appeared. The fragments observed were largely due to hydrogen release from alkyl ions ([C_nH_2n+1]⁺ – H2 → [C_nH_2n-1]⁺) and loss of water or some other stable molecule from the same species. The results are compared with those from ionization of the same alcohols under electron impact and photoionization conditions and with results obtained for methanol under thermospray conditions.     

Ejection of Cluster Ions from a Liquid Beam of an Aniline-Propanol Solution Following Laser Photoionization

A simple technique of preparing a continuous laminar liquid flow in vacuum (liquid beam) was developed and combined with multiphoton ionization and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. This technique was applied to the study on resonance photoionization of an aniline (AN)-propanol (PrOH) solution (0.1 – 0.3 M). Binary cluster ions of aniline and propanol, AN⁺(PrOH)_n (n ≤ 1), and protonated propanol cluster ions, H⁺(PrOH)_n (n ≤ 1), were observed as product ions in the gas phase. The relative intensities of AN⁺PrOH and those of H⁺(PrOH)₂ were measured as functions of the excitation laser power and the concentration of aniline in the propanol solution. The dependences of the ion intensities on the laser power and the AN concentration are explained in terms of a Coulomb ejection model, where the ions are ejected from the surface by Coulomb repulsion exerted from neighboring ions. It is also concluded that H⁺(PrOH)_n is produced by a proton transfer reaction from an aniline ion to solvent molecules in the solution.     

Nucleophilic addition of alcohols to the C-N multiple bonds of the nitrilium substituent in the anion [2-B10H9(N≡CMe)]−

The reactions of salts of the anion [2-B₁₀H₉(N≡CMe)]⁻ with aliphatic alcohols ROH (R = C _n H_2n+1 (n = 1–6) CH₂CH₂(OEt), Prⁱ, Buⁱ, Bu^t, i-C₅H₁₁) are studied. These reactions result in hydrolytically stable imidates [2-B₁₀H₉{NH=C(OR)Me}]⁻. Their structures were confirmed by the data from mass spectrometry, IR, ¹H, ¹¹B, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The molecular geometry of [2(Z)-B₁₀H₉{NH=C(OBu)Me}]⁻, which formed in nucleophilic addition reaction of n-butyl alcohol to [2-B₁₀H₉(N≡CMe)]⁻, was established by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

A mass spectrometry study of alkanes in air plasma at atmospheric pressure

The positive APCI-mass spectra in air of linear (n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane), branched [2,4-dimethylpentane, 2,2-dimethylpentane and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (i-octane)], and cyclic (cyclohexane) alkanes were analyzed at different mixing ratios and temperatures. The effect of air humidity was also investigated. Complex ion chemistry is observed as a result of the interplay of several different reagent ions, including atmospheric ions O₂^+•, NO⁺, H₃O⁺, and their hydrates, but also alkyl fragment ions derived from the alkanes. Some of these reactions are known from previous selected ion/molecule reaction studies; others are so far unreported. The major ion formed from most alkanes (M) is the species [M − H]⁺, which is accompanied by M^+• only in the case of n-octane. Ionic fragments of C _n H_2n ^+1/+ composition are also observed, particularly with branched alkanes: the relative abundance of such fragments with respect to that of [M − H]⁺ decreases with increasing concentration of M, thus suggesting that they react with M via hydride abstraction. The branched C₇ and C₈ alkanes react with NO⁺ to form a C₄H₁₀NO⁺ ion product, which upon collisional activation dissociates via HNO elimination. The structure of t-Bu⁺(HNO) is proposed for such species, which is reasonably formed from the original NO⁺(M) ion/molecule complex via hydride transfer and olefin elimination. Finally, linear alkanes C₅–C₈ give a product ion corresponding to C₄H₇⁺(M), which we suggest is attributed to addition of [M − H]⁺ to C₄H₈ olefin formed in the charge-transfer-induced fragmentation of M. The results are relevant to applications of nonthermal plasma processes in the fields of air depuration and combustion enhancement.     

Cationic Complexes of Hydrogen with Helium

High‐resolution mass spectra of helium nanodroplets doped with hydrogen or deuterium reveal that copious amounts of helium can be bound to H⁺, H₂⁺, H₃⁺, and larger hydrogen‐cluster ions. All conceivable He_nH_x⁺ stoichiometries are identified if their mass is below the limit of ≈120 u set by the resolution of the spectrometer. Anomalies in the ion yields of He_nH_x⁺ for x=1, 2, or 3, and n≤30 reveal particularly stable cluster ions. Our results for He_nH₁⁺ are consistent with conclusions drawn from previous experimental and theoretical studies which were limited to smaller cluster ions. The He_nH₃⁺ series exhibits a pronounced anomaly at n=12 which was outside the reliable range of earlier experiments. Contrary to findings reported for other diatomic dopant molecules, the monomer ion (i.e. H₂⁺) retains helium with much greater efficiency than hydrogen‐cluster ions.     

UR-spektroskopische Untersuchungen an zeolithischen Heptagermanaten

Zusammenfassung Der direkte Nachweis von H₃O⁺-Ionen bzw. OH^–-Ionen in zeolithischen Germanaten wird durch UR-spektroskopische Untersuchungen erbracht. Hydronium-Ionen liegen vor beiM(I)₃HGe₇O₁₆·nH₂O sowie bei Ba- und Pb-Zeolithen der FormM(II)_2–x H_2x Ge₇O₁₆·nH₂O, während man in Ba- und Pb-Zeolithen der ZusammensetzungM(II)_2+x Ge₇O₁₆(OH)_2x ·nH₂O Hydroxyl-Ionen beobachtet.

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By IR-spectroscopic investigations of zeolitic germanates of formulaM(I)₃HGe₇O₁₆·nH₂O as well as of Ba- and Pb-zeolites of formulaM(II)_2–x H_2x Ge₇O₁₆·nH₂O the presence of H₃O⁺-ions can be detected. On the other hand inM(II)_2+x Ge₇O₁₆(OH)_2x ·nH₂O (M=Ba, Pb) hydroxyl ions are observed.

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Mit 2 Abbildungen     

Formation of H3O+ from alcohols and ethers induced by intense laser fields

The processes of H₃O⁺ production from alcohols (ethanol, 2‐propanol, 1‐propanol, 2‐butanol) and ethers (diethyl ether and ethyl methyl ether), and their deuterium‐substituted species, by intense laser fields (800 nm, 100 fs, ～1 × 10¹⁴ W/cm) were investigated through time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. H₃O⁺ formation was observed for all these compounds except for ethyl methyl ether. From the analysis of TOF signals of H_(3?n)D_nO⁺ (n = 0, 1, 2, and 3) that have expanding tails with increasing flight time, it has been confirmed that the reaction proceeds through metastable dissociation from the intermediate species C₂H_(5?m)D_mO⁺(m = 0–5). The common shape of the H_(3?n)D_nO⁺ signal profiles contains two major distributions in the time constant, i.e., fast and slow components of <50 ns and ～500 ns, respectively. The H_(3?n)D_nO⁺ branching ratio is interpreted to be the result of complete scrambling of four hydrogen atoms at the C? C site in C₂H₄‐OH⁺, and partial exchange (18–38%) of a hydrogen atom in the OH group with four other hydrogen atoms within 1 ns prior to H_(3?n)D_nO⁺ production. Ab initio calculations for the isomers and transition states of C₂H₅O⁺ were also performed, and the observed H_(3?n)D_nO⁺ production mechanism has been discussed. In addition, a stable isomer having a complex structure and two isomerization pathways were discovered to contribute to the H₃O⁺ formation process. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electron impact mass spectra of some salts of carboxylic acids with alkali (group Ia) metals

Thirteen of the salts of the alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) with acetic, 2,2-dimethylpropionic, trifluoroacetic and heptafluorobutyric acid have been found to be sufficiently volatile to give mass spectra under normal electron impact conditions. The metal containing ions observed include (M=metal): [M]⁺, [MO]⁺, [MCO₂]⁺, [M₂]^+·, [M₂O]^+·, [M₂CO₂]^+· and the cluster ions [M_n (carboxylate)_n-1]⁺ for n = 2–8.     

Synthesis, thermal and other studies of 2,4'-bipyridine-dichloroacetato complexes of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II)

Four new mixed ligand complexes were prepared by the reaction of title metal dichloroacetates and 2,4'-bipyridine. The general formulae of synthesized compounds are M(2,4'-bpy)₂(CCl₂HCOO)₂·nH₂O (where M(II)=Mn, Co, Ni, Cu; 2,4'-bpy=2,4'-bipyridine, n=2 or 4). The complexes have been isolated from aqueous media and characterized by chemical analysis, molar conductance (in MeOH, DMSO and DMF), magnetic, IR and VIS spectral studies. The nature of metal(II)-ligand coordination is discussed. The thermal behaviour of obtained complexes was studied by thermal analysis and TG-MS techniques in air. IR, X-ray powder diffraction and thermoanalytical data were used for the determination of solid intermediate products of the thermal decomposition. The principal volatile products of thermal decomposition of complexes were proved by mass spectroscopy: H₂O⁺, CO⁺ ₂, HCl⁺ ₂, Cl⁺ ₂, NO⁺ and other. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Second coordination sphere of aluminium and gallium hexacoordination complexes

It is shown by means of ¹⁹F NMR that the hexacoordinated solvates of aluminium and gallium in solutions of methyl, ethyl and n-propyl alcohols form outer-sphere complexes with the halide ions, F^?, Cl^? and Br^?, in which the acidoligands are situated in the second coordination sphere. The outer-sphere complexes are formed on the basis of purely alcoholic solvates, M(ROH)₆³⁺, as well as the complexes containing the mixed coordination sphere, M(ROH)_6?n(H₂O)_n³⁺, and Al(CH₃OH)_6?n(C₂H₅OH)_n²⁺.     

Isomerization of hydrocarbon ions. VI—parameters determining the isomerization of aliphatic hydrocarbon ions

The radical or non-radical character of aliphatic hydrocarbon ions determines the extent to which these ions equilibrate to a mixture of interconverting structures prior to decomposition. It is suggested that the radical (odd electron) ions have both lower thresholds for decomposition and higher barriers for isomerization that non-radical (even electron) ions, thus explaining their reduced tendency for isomerization. Moreover, the molecular size seems to be a major influencing factor for the isomerization of unsaturated hydrocarbon molecular ions. With decreasing molecular size isomerization prior to decomposition becomes more pronounced. Collisional activation spectra of fragment ions (formed by loss of H₂O from the corresponding alcohols) and of [C₅H₁₀]⁺ and [C₄H₈]⁺ molecular ions are reported in support of these conclusions.     

Characterization of synthetic N-acetylcysteine conjugates by positive- and negative-ion 252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry

N-Acetylcysteine and nine N-acetylcysteine conjugates of synthetic origin were characterized by positive- and negative-ion plasma desorption mass Spectrometry. For sample preparation the electrospray technique and the nitrocellulose spin deposition technique were applied. The fragmentation of these compounds, which are best seen as S-substituted desaminoglycylcysteine dipeptides, shows a similar behaviour to that of linear peptides. In the positive-ion mass spectra intense protonated molecular ion peaks are observed. In addition, several sequence-specific fragment ions (A⁺, B⁺, [Y + 2H]⁺, Z⁺), immonium ions (I⁺) and a diagnostic fragment ion for mercap-turic acids (R_M⁺) are detected. The negative-ion mass spectra exhibit deprotonated molecular ions and in contrast only one fragment ion corresponding to side-chain specific cleavage ([R_XS]^?) representing the xenobiotic moiety. In the case of a low alkali metal concentration on the target, cluster molecular ions of the [nM + H]⁺ or [nM - H]^? ion type (n = 1-3) are observed. The analysis of an equimolar mixture of eight N-acetylcysteine conjugates shows different quasi-molecular ion yields for the positive- and negative-ion spectra.     

Electrochemically induced transformations of ruthenium(III) trichloride microcrystals in salt solutions

Ruthenium (III) trichlorid solid crystals have been mechanically attached to gold surfaces and studied by cyclic electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurements in the presence of aqueous solutions of different concentrations containing M⁺Cl⁻, where M⁺=H⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺. The RuCl₃ and the complexes formed during the electrochemical transformations show two or more reduction and reoxidation pairs of waves, depending on the experimental conditions (concentration, scan rate, and potential range). The voltammetric peaks are shifted into the direction of higher potentials with increasing electrolyte concentrations except at very high concentrations when the peaks belong to the first reduction/reoxidation processes move oppositely. The mass change was reversible, during reduction mass increase, while during oxidation mass decrease occurred at medium electrolyte concentrations in two, more or less distinct steps. At high or low concentrations the mass excursions are more complex involving different mass increase/decrease regions as a function of potential which vary with the potential range of the measurements. The peak potentials and the electrochemical activity strongly depend on the nature of the cations and pH. It is related to the formation of complexes in different compositions. The mass change decreases with increasing electrolyte concentrations attesting the important role of the water activity and the transport of solvent molecules. It was concluded that in dilute solutions during the first reduction step M⁺ ions enter the surface layer. The strongly hydrated Li⁺ ions transfer water molecules into the microcrystals, while simultaneously with the incorporation of K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺ ions H₂O molecules leave the surface layer. The opposite transport of ions and solvent molecules occur during oxidation. In the course of further reduction the incorporation of all ions studied except that of Cs⁺ ions is accompanied with water sorption. The number of sorbed water molecules is proportional to the hydration number of these ions. A reaction scheme is proposed in which M⁺ _m-3[Ru^IIICl _m (H₂O) _n ]^3-m · xH₂O (m≥3) and [Ru^IIICl _m (H₂O) _n ]^3-m (Cl⁻)_3-m · xH₂O (m≤3) type complexes are reduced to the respective – or depending on the electrolyte concentration higher or lower – Ru(II)chloro complexes resulting in mixed valence compounds (phases). Taking into account the layered structure of RuCl₃ the electrochemical reduction can be explained as an intercalation reaction in that mixed valence intercalation phases with a general formula M _x ⁺(H₂O) _y [RuCl₃] ^x− are formed from RuCl₃·x H₂O. The reduction/reoxidation waves are related to the redox transformations of Ru(III) to Ru(II) sites, while the composition of the polynuclear complexes and the structure of microcrystals change. Presented at the 4th Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Greifswald, March 13.−16., 2005.