The effect of carbonyl complexation on highly exothermic vanadium oxidation reactions

The effects of CO complexation on highly exothermic vanadium oxidation reactions is evaluated. We study the chemiluminescent (CL) reaction products formed when vanadium vapor entrained in Ar or CO is oxidized by O₃ or NO₂. The multiple collision V+Ar+O₃→VO^*(C ⁴Σ⁻, ⁴Φ, ²X)+Ar+O₂ reactive encounter yields two previously unreported VO excited states, whereas the V+Ar+NO₂→VO^*+Ar+NO reactive encounter populates states up to and including VO^* C ⁴Σ⁻. The multiple collision V+nCO+O₃ reactive encounter would appear to form a VOCO excited state complex, emitting in the region 420–560 nm, via the formation and oxidation of V(CO)₂ viz. V(CO)₂+O₃→VOCO^*+CO+O₂ and a relaxed VO excited state emitter via V+nCO+O₃→VO^*+nCO+O₂ where the VO excited state excitation is mediated by V–CO complexation. In complement, the much less exothermic V–NO₂ encounter displays an emission which, in concert with previous studies of CO complexation, suggests the formation of a VO(CO)₂ excited state complex viz. V(CO)₂+NO₂→VO(CO)₂^*+NO. The experiments characterizing CL are complemented by comparative laser-induced fluorescence studies of the VO X ⁴Σ⁻–CO and Ar interactions and their influence on the VO C ⁴Σ⁻–X ⁴Σ⁻ laser-induced excitation spectrum. These studies, in conjunction with further attempts to excite LIF in the 420–560 nm region, suggest that the observed complex emissions result primarily from VO excited state interactions. Complementary time-of-flight mass spectroscopy of vanadium and vanadium-oxide–carbonyl complex formation demonstrates the formation of V(CO), V(CO)₂, V₂(CO), and VOCO, the latter three of which demonstrate clear metastable-ion dissociation peaks for the processes VOCO⁺→V⁺+CO₂, V(CO)₂⁺→V⁺+2CO, and V₂(CO)⁺→V₂⁺+CO, suggesting that these vanadium complexes when formed in a reaction-based environment may be photodissociated with light in the visible and ultraviolet regions.