Excited state dynamics of liquid water: insight from the dissociation reaction following two-photon excitation

The authors use transient absorption spectroscopy to monitor the ionization and dissociation products following two-photon excitation of pure liquid water. The primary decay mechanism changes from dissociation at an excitation energy of 8.3 eV to ionization at 12.4 eV. The two channels occur with similar yield for an excitation energy of 9.3 eV. For the lowest excitation energy, the transient absorption at 267 nm probes the geminate recombination kinetics of the H and OH fragments, providing a window on the dissociation dynamics. Modeling the OH geminate recombination indicates that the dissociating H atoms have enough kinetic energy to escape the solvent cage and one or two additional solvent shells. The average initial separation of H and OH fragments is 0.7+/-0.2 nm. Our observation suggests that the hydrogen bonding environment does not prevent direct dissociation of an O-H bond in the excited state. We discuss the implications of our measurement for the excited state dynamics of liquid water and explore the role of those dynamics in the ionization mechanism at low excitation energies.     

A theoretical and computational study of the anion, neutral, and cation Cu(H(2)O) complexes

An ab initio investigation of the potential energy surfaces and vibrational energies and wave functions of the anion, neutral, and cation Cu(H(2)O) complexes is presented. The equilibrium geometries and harmonic frequencies of the three charge states of Cu(H(2)O) are calculated at the MP2 level of theory. CCSD(T) calculations predict a vertical electron detachment energy for the anion complex of 1.65 eV and a vertical ionization potential for the neutral complex of 6.27 eV. Potential energy surfaces are calculated for the three charge states of the copper-water complexes. These potential energy surfaces are used in variational calculations of the vibrational wave functions and energies and from these, the dissociation energies D(0) of the anion, neutral, and cation charge states of Cu(H(2)O) are predicted to be 0.39, 0.16, and 1.74 eV, respectively. In addition, the vertical excitation energies, that correspond to the 4 (2)P<--4 (2)S transition of the copper atom, and ionization potentials of the neutral Cu(H(2)O) are calculated over a range of Cu(H(2)O) configurations. In hydrogen-bonded, Cu-HOH configurations, the vertical excitation and ionization energies are blueshifted with respect to the corresponding values for atomic copper, and in Cu-OH(2) configurations where the copper atom is located near the oxygen end of water, both quantities are redshifted.     

Scattering of N(2)O on electron impact over an extensive energy range (0.1 eV-2000 eV)

We report electron impact total cross sections, Q(T), for e-N(2)O scattering over an extensive range of impact energies approximately from 0.1 eV to 2000 eV. We employ an ab initio calculation using R-matrix formalism below the ionization threshold of the target and above it we use the well established spherical complex optical potential to compute the cross sections. Total cross section is obtained as a sum of total elastic and total electronic excitation cross sections below the ionization threshold and above the ionization threshold as a sum of total elastic and total inelastic cross sections. Ample cross section data for e-N(2)O scattering are available at low impact energies and hence meaningful comparisons are made. Good agreement is observed with the available theoretical as well as experimental results over the entire energy range studied here.     

Photoionization and ab initio study of Ba(H2O)n (n = 1-4) clusters

An experimental and theoretical study of the photoionization energies (IE's) of Ba(H(2)O)(n) clusters containing up to n = 4 water molecules has been performed. The clusters were generated by a pick-up source combining laser vaporization with pulsed supersonic expansion, and then photoionized by radiation of 272.5-340 nm. The experimentally determined IE(e)'s for n = 1 to 4 are 4.56 ± 0.05, 4.26 ± 0.05, 3.90 ± 0.05 and 3.71 ± 0.05 eV. This cluster size dependence of IE is reproduced within ±0.06 eV employing the mPW1PW91 density-functional and CCSD(T, Full) quantum-chemical methods combined with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set for the H and O atoms and three different relativistic effective core potentials for Ba atoms. The calculations indicate that the lowest energy hydration structures represent the most relevant contributions to both the vertical and adiabatic ionization energies. Experimental and theoretical evidence correlates with the progressive surface-delocalization of the electron from the hydration cavity around the Ba atom and suggests that the intra-cluster electron transfer is possible even for small aggregates.     

Solvation and thermalization of electrons generated by above-the-gap (12.4 eV) two-photon ionization of liquid H2O and D2O

Temporal evolution of transient absorption (TA) spectra of electrons generated by above-the-gap (12.4 eV total energy) two-photon ionization of liquid H2O and D2O has been studied on femto- and picosecond time scales. The spectra were obtained at intervals of 50 nm between 0.5 and 1.7 mum. Two distinct regimes of the spectral evolution were observed: t < 1 ps and t > 1 ps. In both of these regimes, the spectral profile changes considerably with the delay time of the probe pulse. The "continuous blue shift" and the "temperature jump" models, in which the spectral profile does not change as it progressively shifts, as a whole, to the blue, are not supported by our data. Furthermore, no p-state electron, postulated by several authors to be a short-lived intermediate of the photoionization process, was observed by the end of the 300 fs, 200 nm pump pulse. For t < 1 ps, two new TA features (the 1.15 microm peak and 1.4 mum shoulder) were observed for the electron in the spectral region where O-H overtones appear in the spectra of light water. These two features were not observed for the electron in D2O. The 1.4 mum peak observed in D2O may be the isotope-shift analogue of the 1.15 microm feature in H2O. Vibronic coupling to the modes of water molecules lining the solvation cavity is a possible origin of these features. On the sub-picosecond time scale, the absorption band of solvated electron progressively shifts to the blue. At later delay times (t > 1 ps), the position of the band maximum is "locked", but the spectral profile continues to change by narrowing on the red side and broadening on the blue side; the oscillator strength is constant within 10%. The time constant of this narrowing is ca. 0.56 ps for H2O and 0.64 ps for D2O. Vibrational relaxation and time-dependent decrease in the size and sphericity of the solvation cavity are suggested as possible causes for the observed spectral transformations in both of these regimes.     

Penning ionization of N2O molecules by He*(2(3,1)S) and Ne*(3P2,0) metastable atoms: a crossed beam study

The energetics of [Rg... N2O]* autoionizing collision complexes (where Rg=He or Ne) and their dynamical evolution have been studied in a crossed beam apparatus, respectively, by Penning ionization electron spectroscopy (PIES) and by mass spectrometry (MS) techniques in the thermal energy range. The PIES spectra, detected by an electron energy analyzer, were recorded for both complexes at four different collision energies. Such spectra allowed the determination of the energy shifts for Penning electron energy distributions, and the branching ratios for the population of different electronic states and for the vibrational population in the molecular nascent ions. For the [Ne...N2O]* collision complex it was found, by MS, that the autoionization leads to the formation of N2O+, NO+, O+, and NeN2O+ product ions whose total and partial cross sections were measured in the collision energy range between 0.03 and 0.2 eV. The results are analyzed exploiting current models for the Penning ionization process: the observed collision energy dependence in the PIES spectra as well as in the cross sections are correlated with the nature of the N2O molecule orbitals involved in the ionization and are discussed in term of the Rg-N2O interaction potentials, which are estimated by using a semiempirical method developed in our laboratory.     

Independent pairs and Monte-Carlo simulations of the geminate recombination of solvated electrons in liquid-to-supercritical water

Independent pairs (IP) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are employed to model experimental femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopic data on the geminate recombination dynamics of solvated electrons in liquid-to-supercritical water. The hydrated electron was created by two-photon ionization of the neat fluid with a total ionization energy of 9.3 eV. In both numerical approaches, the ejection length, , (i.e. the distance from the ionization core, at which the electron is thermally and spatially localized) is used as the primary adjustable fitting parameter that can bring both model simulations into quantitative agreement with the ultrafast kinetic experiment. The influence of the thermodynamic conditions on the ejection length and on the recombination mechanism is discussed. Whereas in the compressed liquid associated with a high dielectric constant (ε ≥ 20), the electron recombines predominantly with the OH radical, the dissociative recombination via charge neutralization with the hydronium cation takes over at small dielectric constants (ε < 20). The importance of charge-dipole interactions for Monte-Carlo simulations of the recombination reactions of the hydrated electrons in the low-permittivity region is stressed.     

Proton transfer dynamics of the reaction H3O(+)(NH3,H2O)NH4+ studied using the crossed molecular beam technique

The proton transfer reaction of H3O+ and NH3 was studied using the crossed molecular beam technique at relative energies of 0.41, 0.81, and 1.27 eV. At all three energies, the center-of-mass flux distribution of the product ion NH4+ exhibits sharply asymmetry, and the maximum is close to the velocity and direction of the precursor ammonia beam. The reaction transforms almost all of the 1.69 eV exothermicity into internal excitation of the products at all three collision energies. At the lowest collision energy of 0.41 eV, nearly 77% of the total energy appears in NH4+ internal excitation. However, almost 100% of the incremental translational energy in the two higher-energy experiments appears in the product translational energy. Such an observation provides a classic example of the "induced repulsive energy release" mechanism that is expected to be operative on the highly skewed potential energy surfaces characteristic of the heavy+light-heavy mass combination. These results indicate that the proton transfer proceeds through a direct reaction mechanism; a Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory calculation shows that the lifetime of the intermediate complex [NH3-H-H2O]+ is about 100 fs. Proton transfer occurs early on the reaction coordinate, when the incipient N-H bond is extended, and results in highly vibrationally excited NH4+ products, with excitation primarily in N-H stretching modes.     

High resolution and low-temperature photoelectron spectroscopy of an oxygen-linked fullerene dimer dianion: C(120)O(2-)

C(120)O comprises two C(60) cages linked by a furan ring and is formed by reactions of C(60)O and C(60). We have produced doubly charged anions of this fullerene dimer (C(120)O(2-)) and studied its electronic structure and stability using photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. High resolution and vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra were obtained at 70 K and at several photon energies. The second electron affinity of C(120)O was measured to be 1.02+/-0.03 eV and the intramolecular Coulomb repulsion was estimated to be about 0.8 eV in C(120)O(2-) on the basis of the observed repulsive Coulomb barrier. A low-lying excited state ((2)B(1)) was also observed for C(120)O(-) at 0.09 eV above the ground state ((2)A(1)). The C(120)O(2-) dianion can be viewed as a single electron on each C(60) ball very weakly coupled. Theoretical calculations showed that the singlet and triplet states of C(120)O(2-) are nearly degenerate and can both be present in the experiment. The computed electron binding energies and excitation energies, as well as Franck-Condon factors, are used to help interpret the photoelectron spectra. A C-C bond-cleaved isomer, C(60)-O-C(60) (2-), was also observed with a higher electron binding energy of 1.54 eV.     

Electronic spectroscopy and ultrafast energy relaxation pathways in the lowest Rydberg States of trimethylamine

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy has been applied to study the electronic spectroscopy and relaxation pathways among the 3p and 3s Rydberg states of trimethylamine. The experiments used femtosecond and picosecond duration laser pulses at wavelengths of 416, 266, and 208 nm and employed two-photon and three-photon ionization schemes. The binding energy of the 3s Rydberg state was found to be 3.087 +/- 0.005 eV. The degenerate 3p x, y states have binding energies of 2.251 +/- 0.005 eV, and 3p z is at 2.204 +/- 0.005 eV. Using picosecond and femtosecond time-resolved experiments we spectrally and temporally resolved an intricate sequence of energy relaxation pathways leading from the 3p states to the 3s state. With excitation at 5.96 eV, trimethylamine is found to decay from the 3p z state to 3p x, y in 539 fs. The decay to 3s from all the 3p states takes place with a 2.9 ps time constant. On these time scales, trimethylamine does not fragment at the given internal energies, which range from 0.42 to 1.54 eV depending on the excitation wavelength and electronic state.     

The photodissociation of NO(2) by visible and ultraviolet light

We present velocity map images of the NO, O((3)P(J)) and O((1)S(0)) photofragments from NO(2) excited in the range 7.6 to 9.0 eV. The molecule was initially pumped with a visible photon between 2.82-2.95 eV (440-420 nm), below the first dissociation threshold. A second ultraviolet laser with photon energies between 4.77 and 6.05 eV (260-205 nm) was used to pump high-lying excited states of neutral NO(2) and/or probe neutral photoproducts. Analysis of the kinetic energy release spectra revealed that the NO photofragments were predominantly formed in their ground electronic state with little kinetic energy. The O((3)P(J)) and O((1)S(0)) kinetic energy distributions were also dominated by kinetically 'cold' fragments. We discuss the possible excitation schemes and conclude that the unstable photoexcited states probed in the experiment were Rydberg states coupled to dissociative valence states. We compare our results with recent time-resolved studies using similar excitation and probe photon energies.     

State-resolved investigation of the photodesorption dynamics of NO from (NO)2 on Ag nanoparticles of various sizes in comparison with Ag(111)

The translational and internal state energy distributions of NO desorbed by laser light (2.3, 3.5, and 4.7 eV) from adsorbed (NO)(2) on Ag nanoparticles (NPs) (mean diameters, D = 4, 8, and 11 nm) have been investigated by the (1 + 1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization technique. For comparison, the same experiments have also been carried out on Ag(111). Detected NO molecules are hyperthermally fast and both rotationally and vibrationally hot, with temperatures well above the sample temperature. The translational and rotational excitations are positively correlated, while the vibrational excitation is decoupled from the other two degrees of freedom. Most of the energy content of the desorbing NO is contained in its translation. The translational and internal energy distributions of NO molecules photodesorbed by 2.3, 3.5, and in part also 4.7 eV light are approximately constant as a function of Ag NPs sizes, and they are the same on Ag(111). This suggests that for these excitations a common mechanism is operative on the bulk single crystal and on NPs, independent of the size regime. Notably, despite the strongly enhanced cross section seen on NP at 3.5 eV excitation energy in p-polarization, i.e., in resonance with the plasmon excitation, the mechanism is also unchanged. At 4.7 eV and for small particles, however, an additional desorption channel is observed which results in desorbates with higher energies in all degrees of freedom. The results are well compatible with our earlier measurements of size-dependent translational energy distributions. We suggest that the broadly constant mechanism over most of the investigated range runs via a transient negative ion state, while at high excitation energy and for small particles the transient state is suggested to be a positive ion.     

Channel switching effect in photodissociating N2O+ ion at 312.5 nm

A experimental observation is presented on the N2O+ photodissociation process, which exhibits a complete channel switching effect in a narrow energy range. The N2O+ ions, prepared at the X2Pi (000) state by (3+1) multiphoton ionization of neutral N2O molecules at 360.6 nm, were excited to different vibrational levels in the A2Sigma+ state in a wavelength range of 275-328 nm. Based on the estimates of total released kinetic energies from the time-of-flight mass spectrum, it was found that the dissociation pathway of N2O+ (A2Sigma+), NO+ (X1Sigma+) + N(4S) with lower dissociation limit, changes abruptly and completely to NO+ (X1Sigma+) + N(2D) with higher dissociation limit, in a excitation energy range of merely 250 cm(-1) at lambda approximately 312.5 nm. This phenomenon was explained by competition between the two dissociation pathways across the special excitation energy region.     

The mechanism of matrix to analyte proton transfer in clusters of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and the tripeptide VPL

Intracluster proton transfer from the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization matrix 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) to the peptide valyl-prolyl-leucine has been investigated as a function of excitation laser wavelength and power. Ionization laser power studies at 308 nm indicate that cluster ionization occurs with a two-photon dependence, whereas matrix-to-analyte proton transfer and cluster dissociation requires an additional photon. At 266 nm, two-photon absorption leads to both cluster ionization and cluster dissociation/proton transfer. A consideration of these results clearly indicates that analyte protonation occurs following ionization of the cluster to produce a radical cation matrix/analyte cluster. Mass spectral features also indicate that mixed DHB/peptide cluster ionization can occur via two-photon ionization at wavelengths as long as 355 nm. These results suggest a reduction in the ionization potential of larger mixed DHB/peptide clusters of greater than 1 eV. The reduced ionization potential seen in these clusters suggests that radical cation initiated proton transfer remains a viable mechanism for analyte protonation in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization at these longer wavelengths.     

Recombination of simple molecular ions studied in storage ring: dissociative recombination of H2O+

Dissociative recombination of vibrationally relaxed H2O+ ions with electrons has been studied in the heavy-ion storage ring CRYRING. Absolute cross-sections have been measured for collision energies between 0 eV and 30 eV. The energy dependence of the cross-section below 0.1 eV is found to be much steeper than the E-1 behaviour associated with the dominance of the direct recombination mechanism. Resonant structures found at 4 eV and 11 eV have been attributed to the electron capture to Rydberg states converging to electronically excited ionic states. Complete branching fractions for all dissociation channels have been measured at a collision energy of 0 eV. The dissociation process is dominated by three-body H + H + O breakup that occurs with a branching ratio of 0.71.     

Highly efficient electron stimulated desorption of O+ from gadolinia-doped ceria surfaces

Highly efficient electron stimulated desorption of O+ from gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) surfaces annealed at 850 K in ultrahigh vacuum is observed and investigated. O+ desorption has a major threshold of approximately 40 eV and an intrinsic kinetic energy of approximately 5.6 eV. Since the threshold energy is close to Ce 5s and Gd 5s core levels, Auger decay of core holes is likely associated with O+ desorption from sites related to oxygen vacancies. The interactions of water and molecular oxygen with GDC surfaces result in a decrease in O+ desorption, suggesting that water and oxygen molecules adsorb mainly to oxygen vacancies. The dependence of O+ kinetic energies on the incident electron energy and temperature reveals surface charging as a result of electron trapping, hole trapping, and electron-hole recombination. The activation energy for surface charge dissipation is found to be 0.43 eV, close to the activation energy for ionic conduction (0.47 to 0.6 eV) in the same material.     

Evidence of CH2O (a3A2) and C2H4 (a3B1u) produced from photodissociation of 1,3-trimethylene oxide at 193 nm

We investigated the dissociative ionization of formaldehyde (CH(2)O) and ethene (C(2)H(4)) produced from photolysis of 1,3-trimethylene oxide at 193 nm using a molecular-beam apparatus and vacuum-ultraviolet radiation from an undulator for direct ionization. The CH(2)O (C(2)H(4)) product suffers from severe dissociative ionization to HCO(+) (C(2)H(3) (+) and C(2)H(2) (+)) even though photoionization energy is as small as 9.8 eV. Branching ratios of fragmentation of CH(2)O and C(2)H(4) following ionization are revealed as a function of kinetic energy of products using ionizing photons from 9.8 to 14.8 eV. Except several exceptions, branching ratios of daughter ions increase with increasing photon energy but decrease with increasing kinetic energy. The title reaction produces CH(2)O and C(2)H(4) mostly on electronic ground states but a few likely on triplet states; C(2)H(4) (a(3)B(1u)) seems to have a yield greater than CH(2)O (a(3)A(2)). The distinct features observed at small kinetic energies of daughter ions are attributed to dissociative ionization of photoproducts CH(2)O (a(3)A(2)) and C(2)H(4) (a(3)B(1u)). The observation of triplet products indicates that intersystem crossing occurs prior to fragmentation of 1,3-trimethylene oxide.     

Near-threshold photoionization of hot isopropyl radicals

A combination of ion imaging and vacuum ultraviolet, single-photon ionization is used to study the internal energy dependence of the photoionization cross section of isopropyl radicals produced by the 266 nm photodissociation of isopropyl iodide. The isopropyl radicals so produced have internal energies of approximately 0.3-2.0 eV. Images recorded for photoionization energies from just below the adiabatic ionization threshold at 7.37+/-0.02 and 8.04 eV are essentially identical both to each other and to that recorded at 9.67 eV. These results imply that the photoionization cross section is only weakly dependent on internal energy. Several factors contributing to this observation are discussed, as are the implications for the photoionization of other systems with significant internal excitation.     

On the vibrational dependence of electron impact ionization of diatomic molecules

The dependence of the Na₂ electron impact ionization rate is measured as a function of vibrational excitation in a crossed molecule-electron beamm arrangement at collision energiesE _coll ≤ 3 eV above the ionization threshold. Specific vibrational distributions in theX ¹∑ _g ⁺ state with average vibrational energies of 0.17 eV, 0.276 eV, and 0.349 eV, are prepared via Franck-Condon pumping using a narrow-band cw laser. Enhancement of the ionization rate is observed only at impact energies near the ionization threshold where the ionization rate increases linearly as a function of vibrational excitation. Analysis of the experimental data is based on three model calculations. The first of these calculations equates vibrational energy with kinetic energy and agrees well with the experimental data. A second, more refined model allows for differences in state-to-state ionization rates and uses Franck-Condon factors to estimate transition probabilities, but leads to a less favorable agreement. The third one employs a semi-classical formulation of the Franck-Condon principle. It provides the best agreement with the experimental data. In contrast with an earlier study of electron impact ionization of diatomic molecules [20], we find no evidence of dynamical modification of the ionization rate, due to vibrational motion of the nuclei, at the present level of accuracy of our data and analysis.     

Chlorodifluoroacetyl cyanide, ClF2CC(O)CN: synthesis, structure, and spectroscopic characterization

The novel molecule difluorochloroacetyl cyanide, ClF(2)CC(O)CN, has been characterized by IR (gas phase, Ar matrix), Raman (liquid), (19)F and (13)C NMR, and photoelectron (PES) spectroscopies; photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS); and gas electron diffraction (GED). The conformational properties of ClF(2)CC(O)CN have been studied by joint application of vibrational spectroscopy, GED, and quantum chemical calculations. The existence of two conformers is detected in the gas and liquid phases, in which the C-Cl bond adopts gauche and syn orientations with respect to the C═O group. The computed enthalpy difference is in harmony with the experimental results of the gauche being more stable than the syn conformer by ΔH° = 1.3 kcal mol(-1) (MP2/cc-pVTZ). The valence electronic properties and the possible ionization and dissociation processes of the title compound are studied using the PES and PIMS. The experimental first vertical ionization energy of 12.0 eV corresponds to the ejection of an electron of the oxygen lone pairs. Taking into account the properties and broad applications of acyl cyanides, ClF(2)CC(O)CN is a promising new precursor in preparative chemistry.