Photoionization, Structures, and Energetics of Na-Doped Formic Acid-Water Clusters.

The influence of formic acid on water cluster aggregation has been investigated experimentally by mass spectrometry and tunable UV laser ionization applied to Na-doped clusters formed in the supersonic expansion of water vapors seeded with formic acid (FA) as well as theoretically using high level quantum chemistry methods. The mass spectra of Na-FA(H2 O)n clusters show an enlarging of mass distribution toward heavier clusters with respect to the Na-(H2 O)n clusters, suggesting similar mass distribution in neutral clusters and an influence of formic acid in water aggregation. Density functional theory and coupled-cluster type (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) calculations have been used to calculate structures and energetics of neutral and ionized Na-FA(H2 O)n as well as neutral FA(H2 O)n . Na-doped clusters are characterized by very stable geometries. The theoretical adiabatic ionization potential values match pretty well the measured appearance energies and the calculated first six electronic excited states show Rydberg-type characters, indicating possible autoionization contributions in the mass spectra. Finally, theoretical calculations on neutral FA(H2 O)n clusters show the possibility of similarly stable structures in small clusters containing up to n=4-5 water molecules, where FA interacts significantly with waters. This suggests that FA can compete with water molecules in the starting stage of the aggregation process, by forming stable nucleation seed.

UV Photoionization of Sodium-Doped Formic Acid Clusters.

The processes involved in the photoionization of sodium-doped clusters are complex, not fully understood for many systems and still strongly debated, especially because of the discrepancy between experimental results and predicted cluster structures. We have performed a study on sodium doped formic acid clusters based on UV photoionization spectroscopy and DFT/TDDFT calculations. Apart from the monomer, all the predicted structures show vertical ionization potential values higher than those obtained by the photoionization measurements. We have calculated the absorption spectra and found many Rydberg-like states near the adiabatic ionization potentials and, crucially, in the UV range where the clusters appearance energies fall. This finding supports the hypothesis of adiabatic contributions in the measured ionization potentials for these clusters.

Inception of Acetic Acid/Water Cluster Growth in Molecular Beams.

The influence of carboxylic acids on water nucleation in the gas phase has been explored in the supersonic expansion of water vapour mixed with acetic acid (AcA) at various concentrations. The sodium-doping method has been used to detect clusters produced in supersonic expansions by using UV photoionisation. The mass spectra obtained at lower acid concentrations show well-detected Na(+) -AcA(H2O)n and Na(+)-AcA2 (H2O)n clusters up to 200 Da and, in the best cooling expansions, emerging Na(+)-AcAm (H2O)n signals at higher masses and unresolved signals that extend beyond m/e values >1000 Da. These signals, which increase with increasing acid content in water vapour, are an indication that the cluster growth taking place arises from mixed water-acid clusters. Theoretical calculations show that small acid-water clusters are stable and their formation is even thermodynamically favoured with respect to pure water clusters, especially at lower temperatures. These findings suggest that acetic acid may play a significant role as a pre-nucleation embryo in the formation of aerosols in wet environments.

Encasing of Na+ ion in dimer-formed acetic acid clusters.

Peaks with anomalous abundance found in the mass spectra are associated with ions with enhanced stability. Among the scientific community focused on mass spectrometry, these peaks are called 'magic peaks' and their stability is often because of suggestive symmetric structures. Here, we report findings on ionised Na-acetic acid clusters [Na(+) -(AcA)n ] produced by Na-doping of (AcA)n and UV laser ionisation. Peaks labelled n = 2, 4, 8 are clearly distinguishable in the mass spectra from their anomalous intensity. Ab initio calculations helped elucidate cluster structures and energetic. A plausible interpretation of the magic peaks is given in terms of (AcA)n formed by dimer aggregation. The encasing of Na(+) by twisted dimers is proposed to be the origin of the enhanced cluster stability. A conceivable dimer-formed tube-like closed structure is found for the Na(+) -(AcA)8 .

Tautomerism and proton transfer in photoionized acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde-water clusters.

Understanding the gas-phase chemistry of acetaldehyde can be challenging because the molecule can assume several tautomeric forms, namely keto, enol and carbene. The two last forms are the most stable ionic forms. Here, insight into the gas-phase cluster ion chemistry of homogeneous acetaldehyde and mixed water-acetaldehyde clusters is provided by mass spectrometry/vacuum ultraviolet photoionization combined with density functional theory calculations. (AA)nH(+) clusters (AA = acetaldehyde) and mixed (AA)nH3O(+) clusters were detected using tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization. Barrierless proton transfers were observed during the geometry optimization of the most stable dimer structures and helped to explain the cluster ion chemistry induced by photoionization, namely the formation of deprotonated tautomers and protonated keto tautomers. Water was found to catalyze the keto-enol and keto-carbene isomerizations and facilitate the proton transfer from the ionized enol or carbene part of the cluster to the neutral keto part, resulting in protonated keto structures. The production of protonated keto structures was identified to be the main fragmentation channel following ionization of the homogeneous acetaldehyde cluster and a channel for ionized mixed clusters as well. These findings are significant for a broad range of fields, including current atmospheric models, because acetaldehyde is one of the most prominent organic species in the troposphere and ions play a crucial role in aerosol formation.

Tunable single-photon ionization TOF mass spectrometry using laser-produced plasma as the table-top VUV light source.

Here we report on a laser plasma-based tunable VUV photoionization time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer conceived mainly to study complex gaseous mixtures. Ionizing photons at tunable vacuum UV (VUV) wavelengths are generated by a gas-target laser-produced plasma, spectrally dispersed in the range 100-160 nm and efficiently focused onto a sample molecular beam. As a test case, we studied the exhaust gas of a four-stroke moped, a typical example of a complex gaseous mixture. Due to the VUV "soft" ionization, the mass spectra are less congested and more easily interpretable. Substituted benzene derivatives are found to give the most intense signals. Several aliphatic hydrocarbons are also detected. The use of tunable VUV radiation allowed the investigation of the contribution of isomers in the mass spectrum from the onset and shape of the photoionization efficiency spectra. Semiquantitative analysis was performed using known literature data detailing the photoionization cross sections. Our findings suggest that using combined data on the mass/photoionization efficiency spectra may be very helpful for a comprehensive analysis of complex gaseous mixtures.

Laser-plasma-based vacuum-ultraviolet light source for tunable single-photon ionization.

Vacuum-UV radiation from Xe jet-target laser-produced plasmas has been produced, spectrally dispersed, and efficiently focused onto a line-shaped interaction volume by adopting an embedded-in-the-chamber spectrograph geometry. Time-resolved 2D Rayleigh light scattering imaging has been carried out for visualizing the gas jet-laser plasma interaction and optimizing the emission intensity and the spectral resolution. We have calibrated the measured photon fluxes, reaching values higher than 10(13) photons/pulse cm(2) nm in the 100-200 nm wavelength range within the first 20 ns from the laser pulse onset. The vacuum-UV light source is predicted to enable sensitive and selective single-photon ionization for time-of-flight mass spectrometry and similar vacuum-UV spectroscopy applications.