Polymerization of ionized acetylene clusters into covalent bonded ions: evidence for the formation of benzene radical cation

Since the discovery of acetylene and benzene in protoplanetary nebulae under powerful ultraviolet ionizing radiation, efforts have been made to investigate the polymerization of ionized acetylene. Here we report the efficient formation of benzene ions within gas-phase ionized acetylene clusters (C2H2)n+ with n = 3-60. The results from experiments, which use mass-selected ion mobility techniques, indicate that the (C2H2)3+ ion has unusual stability similar to that of the benzene cation; its primary fragment ions are similar to those reported from the benzene cation, and it has a collision cross section of 47.4 A2 in helium at 300 K, similar to the value of 47.9 A2 reported for the benzene cation. In other words, (C2H2)3+ structurally looks like benzene, it has stability similar to that of benzene, it fragments such as benzene, therefore, it must be benzene!