Cross sections for low-energy electron scattering from adenine in the condensed phase

Measurements of the vibrational and electronic excitation of a sub-monolayer up to a monolayer film of adenine were performed with a high resolution electron energy-loss (HREEL) spectrometer. The integral cross sections (over the half-space angle) for excitation of the normal vibrational modes of the ground electronic state and electronically excited states are calculated from the measured reflectivity EEL spectra. Most cross sections for vibrational excitation are of the order of 10⁻¹⁷ cm², the largest being the out-of-plane wagging of the amino-group and the six-member ring deformations. A wide resonance feature appears in the incident energy dependence of the vibrational cross sections at 3–5 eV, while a weak shoulder is present in this dependence for combined ring deformations and bending of hydrogen atoms. For the five excited electronic states, at 4.7, 5.0, 5.5, 6.1 and 6.6 eV, the cross sections are of the order of 10⁻¹⁸ cm², except in the case of the state at the energy of 6.1 eV, for which it is two to three times higher.