Issue 1, 2023

Helium nanodroplets as an efficient tool to investigate hydrogen attachment to alkali cations

Abstract

We report a novel method to reversibly attach and detach hydrogen molecules to positively charged sodium clusters formed inside a helium nanodroplet host matrix. It is based on the controlled production of multiply charged helium droplets which, after picking up sodium atoms and exposure to H2 vapor, lead to the formation of Nam+(H2)n clusters, whose population was accurately measured using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectra reveal particularly favorable Na+(H2)n and Na2+(H2)n clusters for specific “magic” numbers of attached hydrogen molecules. The energies and structures of these clusters have been investigated by means of quantum-mechanical calculations employing analytical interaction potentials based on ab initio electronic structure calculations. A good agreement is found between the experimental and the theoretical magic numbers.

Graphical abstract: Helium nanodroplets as an efficient tool to investigate hydrogen attachment to alkali cations

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 ⵖⵓⵛ 2022
Accepted
16 ⵏⵓⵡ 2022
First published
17 ⵏⵓⵡ 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023,25, 462-470

Helium nanodroplets as an efficient tool to investigate hydrogen attachment to alkali cations

S. Kollotzek, J. Campos-Martínez, M. Bartolomei, F. Pirani, L. Tiefenthaler, M. I. Hernández, T. Lázaro, E. Zunzunegui-Bru, T. González-Lezana, J. Bretón, J. Hernández-Rojas, O. Echt and P. Scheier, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023, 25, 462 DOI: 10.1039/D2CP03841B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements