Free-electron attachment to coronene and corannulene in the gas phase

Electron attachment to the polyaromatic hydrocarbons coronene and corannulene is studied in the electron energy range of about 0-14 eV using a high-resolution crossed electron-neutral beam setup. The major anions observed are the parent anions peaking at about 0 eV with cross sections of 3.8 x 10(-20) and 1 x 10(-19) m(2), respectively. The only fragment anions formed in coronene and corannulene are the dehydrogenated coronene and corannulene anions. Other anions observed in the negative mass spectra at about 0 eV can be ascribed to impurities of the sample. High-level quantum-mechanical studies are carried out for the determination of electron affinities, hydrogen binding energies, and structures of both molecules. The behavior of coronene and corannulene upon electron attachment is compared with that of other polyaromatic hydrocarbons studied previously.