Resonant electron capture by orotic acid molecules

Resonant electron attachment by orotic acid molecules (6-COOH-uracil) are studied in the energy range of 0–14 eV via negative ion mass spectrometry. Molecular ions, whose lifetimes relative to electron autodetachment are found to be ~300 μs are recorded in the region of thermal electron energies; they form in the valence state through a vibration-excited resonance mechanism. Unlike unsubstituted uracil, most dissociative processes occur in the low-energy region of <4 eV and are due to carboxylic anions. An absolute cross section of 2.4 × 10^?17 cm² is found for the most intense fragment ions [M–H]^– at an output energy of 1.33 eV. The kinetics of decarboxylation is considered for these ions. This could be a model reaction for the last stage of uridine monophosphate biosynthesis.     

Prediction of electron ionization mass spectra of <Emphasis Type="Italic">О</Emphasis>-alkyl methylphosphonothionofluoridates

Electron ionization mass spectra of poorly studied toxic alkyl methylphosphonothionofluoridates and alkyl methylphosphonofluoridates are discussed. It is demonstrated that the compounds are decomposed in accordance with the general scheme of fragmentation of monofunctional organic compounds RX (X is a functional group), proposed previously. At the same time, noticeable differences between the corresponding mass spectra are found. The most important difference occurs in their alkene subspectra containing a peak of alkene ion [R–H]^+? and peaks of its decay products. A method was developed for the simulation of mass spectra of unknown alkyl methylphosphonothionofluoridates by transforming available mass spectra of their oxygen analogues.     

Phenol, chlorobenzene and chlorophenol isomers: resonant states and dissociative electron attachment

This paper reports a study of resonant dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to the phenol, chlorobenzene, p-, m-, and o-chlorophenol molecules. On the basis of spectroscopic and thermochemical approaches the resonant states of the molecular negative ions (NIs) and the structures of some dissociative decay products are assigned. In the electron energy range up to 3 eV, DEA processes are determined by the two 2[pi*]-shape resonances resulting mainly in formation of [M-H]- and/or Cl- ions. At higher electron energies the energy correlation between peaks in the negative ion effective yield curves and bands of UV spectra allowed identification of the core-excited resonances. The peculiarities of Cl- ion formation and the vibrational fine structure on the effective yield curves of the [M-H]- ions are discussed. The mass spectrometric procedures for measurement of relative cross sections for NI formation are described.     

Hidden rearrangement processes in short-lived negative molecular ions

The study of resonant electron capture by nitrobenzene molecules showed that some fragmentary negative ions are unstable toward electron autodetachment. The measured appearance energy of the neutral component of an [M — H]⁻ ion beam does not agree with the energetics of direct dissociation in a molecular ion. The estimation calculations show that the low appearance energy of [M — H]⁰ neutral components is caused by isomerization of a molecular ion of nitrobenzene to the 2-nitrobenzene structure followed by the formation of a phenoxide ion in the autodetachment state. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 367–370, February, 2006.     

Lifetime of negative molecular ions of tetracene and pentacene with respect to the autodetachment of an electron

The processes of nondissociative resonant attachment and autodetachment of electrons in a number of poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules have been investigated by mass spectrometry. Long-lived negative molecular ions of phenanthrene and triphenylene have not been observed. Such ions have been detected for anthracene, pyrene, and benzo[e]pyrene capturing thermal electrons. Negative molecular ions of tetracene and pentacene have also been observed up to 2.5–3 eV. The lifetimes of these ions with respect to the auto-detachment of an electron have been measured throughout the energy range where they are observed. This lifetime for tetracene and pentacene is more than 10 ms, which is two or three orders of magnitude larger than that for remaining compounds. Correlation between the lifetime of ions and the electron affinity of the molecules has been revealed.     

Interpretation and Simulation of Negative Ion Mass Spectra of Some Phosphorus Organoelement Compounds

Negative ion mass spectra for a series of organophosphorus compounds were obtained and negative ion fragmentation processes were treated theoretically. Using O-isopropyl and O-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridates as examples, electron affinities of molecules and their fragments were estimated using the UB3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) quantum-chemical approach and energetically more favorable and characteristic routes of dissociative electron attachment, including simple bond cleavage and rearrangements, were determined. Based on the obtained experimental and theoretical data, hypothetic fragmentation patterns were proposed and a special algorithm was compiled to predict negative ion mass spectra for some groups of organophosphorus compounds, such as О-alkyl methylphosphonofluoridates, О,О-alkyl phosphonodichloridates, and О,О′-dialkyl phosphonochloridates. The simulated mass spectra showed a good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming reasonable reliability of the proposed algorithm.     

Formation of doubly charged negative ions under the conditions of the resonant electron capture by fluorofullerenes

Doubly charged negative ions formed when electrons with controlled energies interact with isolated fluorinated fullerene molecules C₆₀F _n (n = 36, 48) have been detected and investigated by resonant electron capture mass spectrometry. The dependence of the intensity of the formation of doubly charged negative ions of fluorofullerenes on the energy of attached electrons has been measured. An original method, which is based on the experimental data and does not require additional calibration quantities, has been developed for estimating the absolute cross section for the formation of doubly charged negative ions. The absolute cross sections for the formation of the most intensely formed ions C₆₀F ₃₆ ^2? and C₆₀F ₄₈ ^2? are estimated to be about 1.1 × 10^?24 and 1.5 × 10^?24 m² at their maximum-yield energies of 2.0 and 1.6 eV, respectively.     

Specific features of the resonant electron attachment to the chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin molecules

The processes of resonant dissociative electron attachment to the molecules of dibenzo-p-dioxin and its chlorinated derivatives containing one to four chlorine atoms (totally eight compounds) were investigated. It was established that 2,3,7-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; 1,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin molecules are chatacterized by positive electron affinities. At electron energies below 2 eV, the electron attachment is caused by the shape resonances. Based on the energy correlation between the negative ion resonance peaks at 3—4 eV and the UV band maxima, it was suggested that electron attachment in this energy region occurs by the mechanism of inter-shell resonance with the molecular singlet-excited states as parents. The possibility for the rearrangement processes resulting in oxy-anionic structures to occur is substantiated.     

On the structure of negative ions formed by dissociative electron attachment by monochlorophenol molecules

The energetics of negative ion formation by resonant dissociative electron attachment by o-, m-, and p-chlorophenol molecules was studied. The structures of some fragment ions and their neutral partners were established. Hidden rearrangement processes leading to the formation of oxy anions by the detachment of chlorine atoms from molecular ions were found. The O—H bond dissociation energies for o-, m-, and p-chlorophenol molecules were 3.74±0.11, 3.72±0.17, and 3.94±0.11 eV, respectively.