Formation and reactions of clusters in the gas phase: small peptides and carboxylic acids

The cluster formation of seventeen small dipeptides with different primary structures and vanillic acid was investigated by means of a neutral laser desorption and supersonic beam expansion followed by multi photon ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. The structures of these clusters have been characterized by mass spectrometric methods as well as by DFT calculations. It is shown that the structure of the cluster from a dipeptide and vanillic acid is described by a hydrogen bond between the phenolic group of the vanillic acid and the N-terminal amino function of the dipeptide. The intensity of the cluster ion and the main fragmentation product, the protonated peptide ion, can be linked to the proton affinity of the peptide. Furthermore the fragmentation reactions of the protonated peptide are accompanied by extensive hydrogen rearrangements yielding both a and y fragments. The intensities of these fragments follow the proton affinity of the dipeptide.     

Observation of apigenin anionic clusters in the gas phase

The ubiquity and favorable medicinal properties of flavonoids make essential the determination of flavonoid levels in various matrices. While developing a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of the flavonoid, apigenin, anionic oligomers and nitrate- and chloride-bound clusters of this compound were observed. Tandem mass spectrometry of these oligomers and cluster ions showed the cleavage of apigenin molecules from the precursor. The observation of these cluster ions shows the possibility of post-column derivatization techniques to enhance specificity in analysis. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stable clusters in the condensed state and some possibilities for gas phase clusters

The classical naked cluster ions of the post-transition elements that are stable in solid compounds and their lower charged analogues observed in mixed metal beams reflect the reduced number of good bonding orbitals. New cluster ions of indium that are hypoelectronic (fewer than 2n+2 skeletal bonding electrons) because of distortions or the bonding of heterometal atoms within the clusters are described. A large family of new, orbital-rich clusters of the group III and IV transition metals sheathed by halide are all centered by a wide variety of heteroatoms. Factors in their stability, possible analogous naked cluster targets, and some calculations are considered.     

Novel cage clusters of MoS2 in the gas phase

Laser evaporation of MoS(2) nanoflakes gives negatively charged magic number clusters of compositions Mo(13)S(25) and Mo(13)S(28), which are shown to have closed-cage structures. The clusters are stable and do not show fragmentation in the post-source decay analysis even at the highest laser powers. Computations suggest that Mo(13)S(25) has a central cavity with a diameter of 4.5 A. The nanosheets of MoS(2) could curl upon laser irradiation, explaining the cluster formation.     

Formation of thioacylium ions in the gas phase

A study of the ion chemistry of benzenethioic acid using ion cyclotron resonance techniques shows that a long-lived ion of composition C₇H₅S⁺ is formed from the reaction of the neutral acid with primary fragment ions, m/z 77 (phenyl) and m/z 105 (benzoyl). The product is assigned the thiobenzoyl structure on the basis df its mode of formation from benzoyl cations and tbe neutral acid. Other reactant ions (acetylium and thioacetylium) derived from mixtures of benzenethioic acid with ethanethioic acid or acetate esters similarly lead to thiobenzoyl ions as the major product The significance of these results as support for the thioacetylium structure of C₂H₃S⁺ ions from ethanethioic acid is discussed.     

Multiply protonated betaine clusters are stable in the gas phase

Multiply protonated clusters of betaine are formed via electrospray ionisation and fragment via competitive betaine neutral loss and charge separation; theoretical calculations suggest the [M(n)+2H](2+) ions consist of a [M(2)+2H](2+) core based on the hydrogen bonded carboxylic acid dimer.     

Probing the cytochrome P450-like reactivity of high-valent oxo iron intermediates in the gas phase

Electrospray ionization in combination with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry is used to prepare and characterize at a molecular level high-valent oxoiron intermediates formed in the reaction of [(TPFPP)Fe(III)]Cl (TPFPP= meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphinato dianion) (1-Cl) with H(2)O(2) in methanol. The intrinsic reactivity in the gas phase of the iron(IV) oxo porphyrin cation radical complex, [(TPFPP)(.+)Fe(IV)=O](+), has been probed toward selected substrates (S), chosen among naturally occurring and model compounds. Whereas CO and cyclohexane proved to be unreactive, olefins, sulfides, amines, and phosphites all undergo oxygen atom transfer in the gas phase yielding the reduction product 1 and/or an adduct ion ([1-S](+)). The reaction efficiencies show a qualitative correlation with the oxophilic character of the active site of S. A notable exception is nitric oxide, which displays a remarkably high reactivity, in line with the important role of NO reactions with iron porphyrin complexes. Furthermore, subsidiary information on the neat association reaction of 1 with selected ligands (L) has been obtained by a kinetic study showing that both the efficiency and the extent of ligation toward the naked ion 1 depend on the electron-donating ability of L.     

Formation of antimony oxide clusters by gas aggregation

Sb_xO_y clusters are produced by using a gas aggregation technique. Antimony vapor is mixed with He/O₂ or He/N₂O and cooled in a reaction channel. After photoionisation with a KrF (248 nm) or ArF (193 nm) excimer laser the products are mass analyzed in a time of flight mass spectrometer. In the presence of N₂O no oxide clusters besides SbO⁺ can be detected, while with oxygen under similar experimental conditions dramatic changes can be observed. At low oxygen partial pressure the obtained spectra are dominated by the pure Sb _x ⁺ clusters with low intensity of Sb_xO _y ⁺ , whereas at high oxygen partial pressure antimony oxides following the general sequence SbO⁺(Sb₂O₃)n are most abundant. The same stable species can furthermore be produced via aggregation of vaporised solid antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃). Within these experiments another new Series of antimony oxides tentatively assigned to (Sb₂O₃) _n ⁺ appeared in the mass spectra.     

Polymerization in clusters and in the gas phase using metal ions

Consecutive addition and elimination reactions have been observed following the interaction of Ti⁺ with isobutylene beam expansion. Clusters provide a feasible and valuable approach for understanding the mechanism of ionic polymerization, and how the size of polymer chains is controlled in such a process.     

Formation enthalpies of hetaryl ions in the gas phase

Conclusions Photoionization was used to determine the appearance potentials of ions from 2-acetylfuran, 2-acetylthiophene, 2-acetylpyrrole, 2,5-dimethylfuran, 2,5-dimethylthiophene, and 2,5-dimethylpyrrole. The enthalpies of formation were determined for RC0⁺ ions (R=2-furyl, 2-thienyl, and 2-pyrroloyl), pyrilium, and thiopyrilium ions.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 905–907, April, 1988.     

Laser photoionization and spectroscopy of gas phase silver clusters

Silver clusters containing up to 40–50 atoms are produced by laser vaporization in a pulsed-nozzle molecular beam source and studied with laser photoionization mass spectroscopy. A variety of Nd:YAG pumped dye laser and UV excimer laser wavelengths are used to achieve ionization. Ionization dynamics are studied by varying the laser wavelength and fluence. Bracketing experiments under single-photon ionization conditions are used to estimate ionization potentials as a function of cluster size. An even-odd ionization potential alternation is observed with odd-numbered clusters (N=3, 5, 7 ...) having lower ionization potentials than adjacent even-numbered species. Shell closings at clusters containing 2, 8 20 and 40 electrons are observed consistent with a one-electron shell model picture of cluster electronic structure. Resonance-enhanced ionization produces a vibrationally resolved spectrum for the trimer, Ag₃, yielding an electronic state assignment and excited state vibrational frequencies. Fragmentation in dimer ionization via theE state at 249 nm establishes the dissociation energy of Ag ₂ ⁺ to be <2.1 eV.     

Formation of metastable forms of carbon in the gas phase

Conclusions The possibility of forming metastable phases of carbon in homogeneous nucleation has been established theoretically. The experimental data that are available are in qualitative agreement with the theory. A possibility has been demonstrated for the application of homogeneous nucleation of diamond to geological and astrophysical problems.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskiya, No. 8, pp. 1725–1729, August, 1982.     

Techniques used to study the chemistry of gas phase elemental clusters

Recent studies of the chemistry of elemental clusters (such as C _n , Si _n , and Fe _n ) in the gas phase have revealed a number of fascinating results. This review article discusses and compares the various techniques that have been used to investigate the chemical properties of gas phase elemental clusters. Examples are provided of the often complimentary information that can be obtained from the different methods.     

Formation of XeCl− in the gas phase

Ion cyclotron resonance has been used to detect the formation of XeCl^? at pressure 10^?4 torr from the ion-molecule reaction of COCl^? and Xe. The dissociation energy of XeCl^? into Xe and Cl^? is estimated to be less than 10 kcal/mole. The results suggest that other negative ions similar to XeCl^? may be detected by mass spectrometric techniques.     

Formation and reactivity of metal carbonyl anions in the gas phase

The reactions of metal carbonyl anions (M(CO)_n^?; M = Cr, Mn and Fe; n = 1–3) with n-heptane, water and methanol were studied with use of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer equipped with an external ion source. The M(CO)_n^? ions were formed in the FT-ICR cell by collision-induced dissociation of the most abundant primary ion generated by electron impact of the appropriate metal carbonyl compound present in the external ion source. The M(CO)_n^? ions were allowed subsequently to undergo non-reactive collisions with argon in order to remove possible excess internal/translational energy prior to the ion/molecule reaction. Only the Cr(CO)₃^?, Mn(CO)₃^? and Fe(CO)₂^? ions react with n-heptane. This reaction proceeds by loss of H₂ from the collision complex and the Cr(CO)₃^? and Fe(CO)₂^? ions react about three times more efficiently than the Mn(CO)₃^? ion. With water, Mn(CO)^? and Fe(CO)₃^? are unreactive, whereas the other ions react by loss of one or two CO molecules from the collision complex. The rate of the reaction with water decreases in the order Cr(CO)₃^?, Fe(CO)₂^?, Cr(CO)₂^?, Fe(CO)^?, Mn(CO)₃^? and Mn(CO)₂^?. With methanol, the Cr(CO)₂^? ion reacts by loss of two CO molecules from the collision complex, whereas loss of one CO molecule and elimination of CO + H₂ occur in the reaction with Cr(CO)₃^?. Competing loss of CO and one or two H₂ molecules occurs in the reactions of Mn(CO)₃^? and Fe(CO)₂^? with methanol. The rate of the reaction with methanol decreases in the order Cr(CO)₃^?, Fe(CO)₂^?, Cr(CO)₂^? and Mn(CO)₃^?.