Issue 19, 2022

Stabilization of phenanthrene anions in helium nanodroplets

Abstract

It has been debated for years if the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene exists in its anionic form, or, in other words, if its electron affinity (EA) is positive or negative. In this contribution we confirm that the bare phenanthrene anion Ph created in a binary collision with an electron at room temperature has a lifetime shorter than microseconds. However, the embedding of neutral phenanthrene molecules in negatively charged helium nanodroplets enables the formation of phenanthrene anions by charge transfer processes and the stabilization of the latter in the ultracold environment. Gentle shrinking of the helium matrix of phenanthrene-doped HNDs by collisions with helium gas makes the bare Ph visible by high-resolution mass spectrometry. From these and previous measurements we conclude, that the EA of phenanthrene is positive and smaller than 24.55 meV.

Graphical abstract: Stabilization of phenanthrene anions in helium nanodroplets

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Лют 2022
Accepted
26 Кві 2022
First published
04 Тра 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022,24, 11662-11667

Stabilization of phenanthrene anions in helium nanodroplets

S. Kollotzek, F. Izadi, M. Meyer, S. Bergmeister, F. Zappa, S. Denifl, O. Echt, P. Scheier and E. Gruber, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 11662 DOI: 10.1039/D2CP00991A

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