Muttiphoton Ionization of Benzene-Ammonia Clusters: Intracluster Reaction and Cluster Ion Stability

Neutral benzene-ammonia clusters, prepared in a supersonic expansion, were ionized using multiphoton ionization. The cluster ions were investigated with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The observed major cluster ions, under 355-nm laser irradiation, resulting from prompt intracluster ion-molecule reaction and fragmentation following ionization are (C₆H₆)_m(NH₃)_nH⁺, m = 1–6, n = 1–4 and (C₆H₆)_m⁺, m = 1–3. The results of isotopic labeling experiments clearly indicate that C₆H₆ does not participate in intracluster ion-molecule reactions to form (C₆H₆)_m(NH₃)_nH⁺. A local maximum appears at n = 2 in the intensity distribution of (C₆H₆)_m(NH₃) _nH⁺ for each value of m under all experimental conditions. This finding indicates that (C₆H₆)_m(NH₃)₂H⁺ is more stable than any other (C₆H₅)_m(NH₃)_mH⁺ (n = 1,3,4) for m = 1–6.