Issue 26, 2019

A study of the reactions of Al+ ions with O3, N2, O2, CO2 and H2O: influence on Al+ chemistry in planetary ionospheres

Abstract

The reactions between Al+(31S) and O3, O2, N2, CO2 and H2O were studied using the pulsed laser ablation at 532 nm of an aluminium metal target in a fast flow tube, with mass spectrometric detection of Al+ and AlO+. The rate coefficient for the reaction of Al+ with O3 is k(293 K) = (1.4 ± 0.1) × 10−9 cm3 molecule−1 s−1; the reaction proceeds at the ion–dipole enhanced Langevin capture frequency with a predicted T−0.16 dependence. For the recombination reactions, electronic structure theory calculations were combined with Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Markus theory to extrapolate the measured rate coefficients to the temperature and pressure conditions of planetary ionospheres. The following low-pressure limiting rate coefficients were obtained for T = 120–400 K and He bath gas (in cm6 molecule−2 s−1, uncertainty ±σ at 180 K): log10(k, Al+ + N2) = −27.9739 + 0.05036 log10(T) − 0.60987(log10(T))2, σ = 12%; log10(k, Al+ + CO2) = −33.6387 + 7.0522 log10(T) − 2.1467(log10(T))2, σ =13%; log10(k, Al+ + H2O) = −24.7835 + 0.018833 log10(T) − 0.6436(log10(T))2, σ = 27%. The Al+ + O2 reaction was not observed, consistent with a D°(Al+–O2) bond strength of only 12 kJ mol−1. Two reactions of AlO+ were also studied: k(AlO+ + O3, 293 K) = (1.3 ± 0.6) × 10−9 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, with (63 ± 9)% forming Al+ as opposed to OAlO+; and k(AlO+ + H2O, 293 K) = (9 ± 4) × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The chemistry of Al+ in the ionospheres of Earth and Mars is then discussed.

Graphical abstract: A study of the reactions of Al+ ions with O3, N2, O2, CO2 and H2O: influence on Al+ chemistry in planetary ionospheres

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 déc. 2018
Accepted
17 janv. 2019
First published
18 janv. 2019

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019,21, 14080-14089

A study of the reactions of Al+ ions with O3, N2, O2, CO2 and H2O: influence on Al+ chemistry in planetary ionospheres

S. M. Daly, D. L. Bones and J. M. C. Plane, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 14080 DOI: 10.1039/C8CP07572G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements