Fragmentation of doubly charged ammonia cations NH 3 ++ studied by the photoion-photoion coincidence (PIPICO) method

Doubly charged NH ₃ ⁺⁺ cations were produced by double photoionization of neutral ammonia molecules by using the synchrotron radiation from ACO as a photon source of variable energy in the 35–49 eV energy range. The fragmentation of NH ₃ ⁺⁺ was studied by the photoion-photoion coincidence (PIPICO) method. NH ₃ ⁺⁺ cations were produced in the \(\tilde X^1 \) A ₁ and \(\tilde B^1 \) electronic states of which the onset energies were measured at, respectively, 35.4±0.5 eV and 44.5±0.5 eV. It was shown that the NH ₃ ⁺⁺ ions, initially produced in their \(\tilde X^1 \) A ₁ state, rapidly dissociate (in less than 50 ns), into NH ₂ ⁺ + H⁺. Furthermore, the comparison with results obtained by other methods indicates that NH ₃ ⁺⁺ ions can either be long-lived (τ>10 µs) or slowly dissociating (1 µs<τ<10 µs) or rapidly dissociating (τ<50 ns), depending on their geometry and/or internal energy in their \(\tilde X^1 \) E A ₁ electronic state.     

Ab initio calculation of the vertical excitation energies of small helium cluster ions

Quantum chemical ab initio calculations have been performed for the vertical excitation energies and oscillator strengths of all low-lying electronically excited states of small helium cluster ions, He _n ⁺ ,n=2, ..., 7. The geometrical structures of the ions were fixed at the equilibrium geometries of the respective ground states, for He ₄ ⁺ and He ₅ ⁺ also one alternative structure was considered. The low-lying excited states can be classified into two categories: the electronic transition can occur either within the central He ₂ ⁺ or He ₃ ⁺ unit or from the peripheral weakly bound He atoms to this unit. The latter transitions are very weak (f≈0.001), closely spaced, with vertical excitation energies of about 5.7 eV. The He ₂ ⁺ and He ₃ ⁺ units have strong transitions at 9.93 and 5.55 eV, respectively; these transitions are only slightly blue-shifted if He ₂ ⁺ or He ₃ ⁺ are placed as “chromophores” into the centre of a larger He _n ⁺ cluster. The large difference in the vertical excitation energy of the strong transition should enable an experimental decision of the question whether the cluster ions have He ₂ ⁺ or He ₃ ⁺ cores.     

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Vegetables by Headspace SPME-GC

Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution is a powerful technique to characterize the superficial and interfacial properties of solid substrates as oxides, polymers or polymers adsorbed on oxides. It can also be used to determine the physicochemical properties and the transition phenomena of polymers. In this paper, IGC was used to determine the changes, as a function of temperature, of the specific free enthalpy ??G _a ^SP and deduce the specific entropy ??S _a ^SP of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) adsorbed on alumina or on silica for different tacticities of PMMA. The study of the surface properties of PMMA/SiO₂ and PMMA/Al₂O₃, revealed an important difference in the physicochemical behaviour of oxides covered by various concentrations of PMMA. This study also highlighted an important effect of the tacticity of the polymer on the specific entropy of PMMA adsorbed on oxides.     

Primary processes in the thiacyanine dimer-photosensitized reduction of p-nitroacetophenone in water by

Primary processes in the reduction of p-nitroacetophenone (p-NAP) by ascorbic acid (AA) in water photosensitized by thiacyanine dimers M ₂ ^2? have been considered. For M ₂ ^2? , the quantum yields of fluorescence and intersystem crossing to the triplet state (M ₂ ^2? )_T increases in comparison to the monomers M^?. The dimers (M ₂ ^2? )_T enter into the reactions of both one-electron photoreduction by ascorbic acid to give AA^+· and M ₂ ^3? and one-electron photooxidation by p-nitroacetophenone to give p-NAP^?· and the dimeric radical anion M ₂ ^? which dissociates to M^? and M^· within 25–30 μs. The primary oxidative or reductive photosensitization in the ternary systems containing (M ₂ ^2? )_T, p-NAP, and AA affords p-NAP^?· and AA^+·.     

Fragmentation of clusters induced by collision with a solid surface: comparison of antimony and bismuth cluster ions

Mass-selected antimony cluster ions Sb _n ⁺ (n = 3-12) and bismuth cluster ions Bi _{ntn} ⁺ (n = 3-8) are allowed to collide with the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at energies up to 350 eV. The resulting fragment ions are analysed in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Two main fragmentation channels can be identified. At low impact energies both Sb _n ⁺ and Bi _n ⁺ cluster ions lose neutral tetramer and dimer units upon collision. Above about 150 eV impact energy Sb ₃ ⁺ becomes the predominant fragment ion of all investigated antimony clusters. The enhanced stability of these fragment clusters can be explained in the framework of the polyhedral skeletal electron pair theory. In contrast, Bi _n ⁺ cluster scattering leads to the formation of Bi ₃ ⁺ , Bi ₂ ⁺ and Bi+ with nearly equal abundances, if the collision energy exceeds 75 eV. The integral scattering yield is substantially higher in this case as compared to Sb _n ⁺ clusters.     

The thermodynamic parameters of oxygen nonstoichiometry defects in lanthanum cobaltite doped with acceptor impurities (Sr and Ni)

The oxygen nonstoichiometry δ of lanthanum cobaltite doped with acceptor impurities (Sr and Ni), La_{1 ? x} Sr_xCo_0.9Ni_0.1O_{3 ? δ} (x = 0.1, 0.3), was studied by high-temperature thermogravimetry over the temperature and pressure ranges 723 K ≤ T ≤ 1373 K and 10^?3 atm ≤ $p_{O_2 } $ ≤ 1 atm. The partial replacement of cobalt with nickel and lanthanum with strontium increased the oxygen nonstoichiometry δ. The partial molar enthalpies $\Delta \bar H^\circ _O $ and entropies $\Delta \bar S^\circ _O $ of solution of oxygen in the solid phase were calculated. Models of point defect formation were suggested and analyzed. The equilibrium constants of formation and concentrations of predominant point defects, ionized oxygen vacancies V _o ^.. , holes Me _Co ^. (Co _Co ^. and Ni _Co ^. ), and electrons Me _Co ^′ (Co _Co ^′ and Ni _Co ^′ ) localized on 3d transition metals, were determined by nonlinear regression from the experimental and theoretical logp $p_{O_2 } $ ?δ dependences.     

Shell correction study of fission of doubly charged silver clusters

Fission of doubly charged silver clusters is investigated by the method of shell corrections. The following fission events are considered: Ag ₂₂ ²⁺ → Ag _n ⁺ + Ag _{22 ?n} ⁺ , (n=11, 10, 9, 8); Ag ₂₁ ²⁺ → Ag _n ⁺ + Ag _{21 ?n} ⁺ , (n=10, 9, 8, 7); Ag ₁₈ ²⁺ → Ag _n ⁺ + Ag _{18 ?n} ⁺ , (n=9, 8, 7, 6). It is found that the shell correction energy is comparable to or larger than the deformation energy of the liquid drop. Threshold energies for the fission events are calculated and compared with the experimental abundance spectra obtained by Katakuse et al. (1990). Correspondence between the calculated threshold energies with the shell corrections and the experimental abundance is very good, showing products from lower threshold fission channels yield more abundance. The threshold energies without the shell corrections are almost constant irrespective of the fission channels and cannot explain the experimental abundance. Abundance of some products are too small to be accounted for only by the threshold energies. The low abundance of those products may be explained by the presence of competing fission channels that have similar minimal energy paths. It is found in fission of Ag ₁₈ ²⁺ that the shell correction overwhelms the Coulomb energy and the fission channel to Ag₈ + Ag ₁₀ ²⁺ is preferred over the fission channel to Ag ₈ ⁺ + Ag ₁₀ ⁺ .     

Formation of helium cluster ions HHe x + (x≦14) and H3He x + (x≦13) in a very low temperature drift tube

The formation of cluster ions when hydrogen molecular ions H ₂ ⁺ and H ₃ ⁺ are injected into a drift tube filled with helium gas at 4.4 K has been investigated. When H ₂ ⁺ ions are injected, cluster ions HHe _x ⁺ (x≦14) are produced. No production of H₂He _x ⁺ ions is observed. When H ₃ ⁺ ions are injected, cluster ions HHe _x ⁺ (x≦14) are produced as well as H₃He _x ⁺ (x≦13), and very small signals corresponding to H₂He _x ⁺ (3≦x≦10) are observed. Information on the stability of HHe _x ⁺ and H₃He _x ⁺ is derived from the drift field dependence of the cluster size distributions. The cluster sizex=13 is found to be a magic number for HHe _x ⁺ , and for H₃He _x ⁺ ,x=10 and 11.     

Influence of the organic layer thickness in (Metal-Assisted) secondary ion mass spectrometry using Ga+ and C 60 + projectiles

This article investigates the influence of the organic film thickness on the characteristic and molecular ion yields of polystyrene (PS), in combination with two different substrates (Si, Au) or gold condensation (MetA-SIMS), and for atomic (Ga⁺) and polyatomic (C ₆₀ ⁺ ) projectile bombardment. PS oligomer (m/z ～ 2000 Da) layers were prepared with various thicknesses ranging from 1 up to 45 nm on both substrates. Pristine samples on Si were also metallized by evaporating gold with three different thicknesses (0.5, 2, and 6 nm). Secondary ion mass spectrometry was performed using 12 keV atomic Ga⁺ and C ₆₀ ⁺ projectiles. The results show that upon Ga⁺ bombardment, the yield of the fingerprint fragment C₇H ₇ ⁺ increases as the PS coverage increases and reaches its maximum for a thickness that corresponds to a complete monolayer (～3.5 nm). Beyond the maximum, the yields decrease strongly and become constant for layers thicker than 12 nm. In contrast, upon C ₆₀ ⁺ bombardment, the C₇H ₇ ⁺ yields increase up to the monolayer coverage and they remain constant for higher thicknesses. A strong yield enhancement is confirmed upon Ga⁺ analysis of gold-metallized layers but yields decrease continuously with the gold coverage for C ₆₀ ⁺ bombardment. Upon Ga⁺ bombardment, the maximum PS fingerprint ion yields are obtained using a monolayer spin-coated on gold, whereas for C ₆₀ ⁺ , the best results are obtained with at least one monolayer, irrespective of the substrate and without any other treatment. The different behaviors are tentatively explained by arguments involving the different energy deposition mechanisms of both projectiles.     

Study of compatibility in polymeric system cellulose nitrate-cellulose acetate by reversed-phase gas chromatography

Therm odynamic compatibility in the polymeric system cellulose nitrate-cellulose acetate is studied by reversed-phase gas chromatography. The excess enthalpy ΔH _ji ^E , entropy ΔS _ji ^E , and Gibbs energy ΔG _ji ^E of mixing of the components, and also the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter χ_ji are estimated.     

Analytical photoion spectroscopy applied to dissociative single and double photoionization of diatomic molecules (H2, N2, O2, CO,and NO)

This work reports the principle, advantage, and limitations of analytical photoion spectroscopy which has been applied to dissociative photoionization processes for diatomic molecules such as H₂, N₂, CO, and NO. Characteristic features observed in the differential photoion spectra are summarized with a focus on (pre)dissociation of(i) multielectron excitation states commonly observed in the inner valence regions,(ii) shape resonances, and(iii) doubly charged parent ions. Possible origins for negative peaks in the differential spectra are discussed. This spectroscopy is applied to the reported photoion branching ratios for D₂ (and H₂ at high energies). The main findings are as follows: (1) The direct dissociation of theX ²Σ _g ⁺ (1sσ _g ) state of D ₂ ⁺ , the two-electron excited state¹Σ _u ⁺ (2pσ _u 2sσ _g ) of D₂, and the²Σ _u ⁺ (2pσ _u ) state of D ₂ ⁺ appear clearly in the differential spectrum, as previously observed for H₂. (2) Decay of H ₂ ⁺ (D ₂ ⁺ ) to H⁺ (D⁺) above 38 eV is due to the direct dissociation of highly excited states of H ₂ ⁺ (D ₂ ⁺ ) such as the²Σ _g ⁺ (2sσ _g ) and high-lying Rydberg states converging on H ₂ ²⁺ (D ₂ ²⁺ ). (3) In the ionization continuum of H ₂ ²⁺ (D ₂ ²⁺ ) peculiar dissociation pathways are observed. The differential photoion spectra for O₂ derived from the reported photoion branching ratios are also presented. The (pre)dissociation of theb ⁴Σ _g ^? ,B ²Σ _g ^? , III²Π _u ,²Σ _u ^? , and^2,4Σ _g ^? states of O ₂ ⁺ appears as the corresponding positive values in the spectra in accord with previous observations. Some other dissociation pathways possibly contributing to the spectra are discussed including dissociative double ionization.     

Size effect on thermodynamic parameters for the peanut-like CaMoO4 micro/nano reaction systems

Peanut-like CaMoO₄ micro/nano structures with three different sizes were harvested by a simple reverse-microemulsion method at room temperature. Employing synthesized micro/nano CaMoO₄ and HCl as reaction systems, thermodynamic parameters such as standard molar enthalpy of reaction Δ_r H _m ^θ , standard molar Gibbs free energy of activation Δ _r ^≠ G _m ^θ , standard molar enthalpy of activation Δ _r ^≠ H _m ^θ , and standard molar entropy of activation Δ _r ^≠ S _m ^θ were successfully acquired for the first time by in situ microcalorimetry. Furthermore, change regularities of the thermodynamic parameters for the micro/nano reaction systems were obtained and discussed. It demonstrated that size effect has significant influence on thermodynamic parameters of micro/nano material reaction systems.     

Helium cluster ions RgHe x + (Rg=Ne,Ar and Kr,x≦14) formed in a drift tube cooled by liquid helium

Rare gas ions Ne⁺, Ar⁺ and Kr⁺ are injected into a drift tube which is filled with helium gas and cooled by liquid helium. Helium cluster ions RgHe _x ⁺ (Rg=Ne, Ar and Kr,x≦14) are observed as products. Information regarding the stability of RgHe _x ⁺ is obtained from drift field dependence of the size distribution of the clusters, and magic numbers are determined. The magic numbers arex=11 and 13 for NeHe _x ⁺ andx=12 for ArHe _x ⁺ and KrHe _x ⁺ . NeHe _x ⁺ , Ar⁺ and Kr⁺ are proposed as the core ions for NeHe ₁₃ ⁺ , ArHe ₁₂ ⁺ and KrHe ₁₂ ⁺ , respectively.     

A theoretical and experimental investigation of the formation of S 2 - from CS2 by electron impact

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the formation of S ₂ ^- from CS₂ by electron impact has been carried out. Molecular orbital calculations show that some of the low lying states of CS ₂ ^- have lower potential energy in the bent geometries suggesting a transformation in the geometric structure of the precursor molecular ion, leading to the formation of S ₂ ^- . In contrast to the formation of S ₂ ^- and S ₂ ^- , the kinetic energy associated with S ₂ ^- is small and disproportionate to the increase in electron energy, indicating the formation of S ₂ ^- in vibrationally excited states due to the mechanism of its formation.     

The thermodynamics of dissolution of low-molecular-mass compounds in polymethyl[2′-(3-trifluoromethyl-2,2,3-trifluorocyclobutyl)ethyl]siloxane studied via inverse gas chromatography

The effect of the 2′-(3-trifluoromethyl-2,2,3-trifluorocyclobutyl)ethyl radical in fluorosiloxane on the thermodynamics of dissolution of various low-molecular-mass compounds in this polymer is studied via inverse gas chromatography. The activity coefficients at infinite dilution, Ω ₁ ^∞ , in the temperature range 20–100°C are determined for C₆–C₈ n-alkanes, cyclohexane, benzene, toluene, tetrachloromethane, trichloromethane, 2-butanone, and ethyl acetate. Flory-Huggins interaction parameters χ ₁₂ ^∞ are calculated. It is shown that hydrocarbons are poor solvents (Ω ₁ ^∞ > 6, χ ₁₂ ^∞ > 0.5) and that the studied fluorosiloxane is not inferior to commercial polymethyl(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)siloxane with respect to stability in nonpolar liquid media in the range 20–70°C. Trichloromethane (above 50°C) and compounds containing a carbonyl group are found to be good solvents. The dispersion component of the solubility of the polymer, δ ₂, is determined to be 14.0 (J/cm³)^1/2 at 20°C and slightly lower, 13.5 (J/cm³)^1/2, at 100°C. Possible causes of these low values of δ₂ are discussed.     

Nucleophilic assistance in methane activation by superelectrophiles with halogen-centered cationic sites

Simulation of fragments of potential energy surface for systems CH₄ + CBr ₃ ⁺ , CH₄ + CBr ₃ ⁺ AlBr ₄ ^? , CH₄ + CCl ₃ ⁺ AlCl ₄ ^? , and CH₄ + CCl ₃ ⁺ Al₂Cl ₇ ^? was performed by DFT-B3LYP and DFT-PBE methods. The important role of nucleophilic assistance in methane halogenation by these superelectrophiles was confirmed. These reactions occur with a synchronous hydride transfer from methane to the electrophile within the cyclic transition states in linear C-H-C fragment of the rings and a generation of a C-Hlg bond between the carbon atom of the arising methyl group and the halogen atom of the electrophile. The nucleophilic assistance from the unshared electron pair of this halogen atom provides the lowering of the potential barriers to methane halogenation by complexes CBr ₃ ⁺ AlBr ₄ ^? , CCl ₃ ⁺ AlCl ₄ ^? , and CCl ₃ ⁺ Al₂Cl ₇ ^? to the values of the order of 20 kcal mol^?1. These essential features of the mechanism of methane halogenation are independent of the halogen nature and are retained on going from the model electrophiles to the real ones.     

Thermodynamic modeling of the reaction of polychlorinated biphenyls with sodium methoxide

Thermochemical parameters, like standard enthalpy of formation (ΔH ₂₉₈ ⁰ ), enthalpy increment from 0 to 298 K (H ₂₉₈ ⁰ - H ₀ ⁰ ), standard heat capacity (C _p298 ⁰ ) and its temperature dependence [Cp(T)], and entropy (S ₂₉₈ ⁰ ), were calculated for the gaseous methoxy derivatives formed from polychlotinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. Thermodynamic modeling and the HSC software were used to evaluate the reactivity of PCB congeners toward sodium methoxide in DMSO, and the calculation results were compared with experimental data.     

Low-energy decay pathways of doubly charged charged silver clusters Ag n 2+ n = 9–24)

The low-energy dissociation channels of mass selected silver cluster ions Ag _n ²⁺ (n = 9–24) are determined by collision induced dissociation (CID) in a Penning trap. While all clusters of the size n ≥ 17 evaporate neutral monomers, most smaller clusters undergo asymmetric fission of the form Ag _n ²⁺ → Ag _n?3 ⁺ + Ag _{3} ⁺ . However, Ag ₁₅ ²⁺ and Ag ₁₁ ²⁺ emit monomers which indicates shell or odd-even effects. The observed fragmentation pathways are different from previous reports of measurements with sputtered Ag _n ²⁺ .     

A theoretical study of internal rearrangements and open channels for fission and mass exchanges in Xe n + clusters

In a previous work the equilibrium geometrical and electronic structures of Xe _n ⁺ clusters had been established using a non-empirical model hamiltonian. The same model is used to determine the energetic barriers between the nearly degenerate isomers; the movement of the neutral atoms around the Xe ₃ ⁺ or Xe ₄ ⁺ ionized linear cores are quite easy (ΔE?0.9 kcal/mole), the changes from a Xe ₃ ⁺ to a Xe ₄ ⁺ core are more difficult (ΔE?2.0 kcal/mole). The energetically possible fissions from a vertical photoionization \(Xe_n \xrightarrow{{h v}}Xe_n^{v + } \to Xe_p^ + + Xe_{n - p} \) forn≦19,p=1–9 and 12–14 and mass exchanges Xe _p ⁺ +Xe _q →Xe _p+m ⁺ +Xe _q?m (m=1,2,3) from relaxed Xe _p ⁺ clusters are given forp+m≦9 and 12–14 andq≦19. Surprisingly the reverse reactions are shown to occur for some values ofp andq. Numerous processes lead to Xe ₁₃ ⁺ , which is especially stable.