Issue 35, 2015

Energy-dependent gas-phase fragmentation of fluorofullerene multiply charged anions (MCAs)

Abstract

Long-lived di- and trianions have been formed from fluorofullerenes in the gas phase by electrospray ionization. Fragmentation of multiply charged anions has been induced by multiple low-energy collisions. Two complementary dissociation experiments have been conducted. Firstly, unequivocal connectivity has been established between the precursor ion and the first and second generation of its product ions. Secondly, dianions have been studied in energy-resolved collisions, allowing the elucidation of the energetic demands of the dissociations. It was possible to study dianions with odd and even F numbers, possessing even and odd electron configurations, respectively. The fragmentation behavior is governed by the electronic stability of the anionic protagonists, in that ions with the less stable odd-electron configuration dissociate into species with the more stable even-electron configuration. Dianions with an odd electron count release an F˙ atom to turn into an even electron system while retaining the charge state. Dianions with an even electron count undergo a more energy demanding charge separation reaction (Coulomb explosion) into an F anion and an even electron monoanion. The studied trianions behave accordingly. F2 loss is prominent only with monoanions within an even-to-even electron fragmentation cascade. The trianions are long-lived with lifetimes of at least 0.1 s.

Graphical abstract: Energy-dependent gas-phase fragmentation of fluorofullerene multiply charged anions (MCAs)

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 May 2015
Accepted
05 Aug 2015
First published
06 Aug 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015,17, 23052-23058

Energy-dependent gas-phase fragmentation of fluorofullerene multiply charged anions (MCAs)

R. W. Kirschbaum, M. Hausmann, O. V. Boltalina, S. H. Strauss and T. Drewello, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 23052 DOI: 10.1039/C5CP03112E

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