Collisionally-activated dissociation in hyperthermal surface ionization of cholesterol

Abstract

Cholesterol in a hydrogen-seeded supersonic molecular beam was scattered from a continuously oxidized rhenium foil. The hyperthermal surface scattering exhibited efficient molecular ionization with a controlled amount of molecular ion dissociation. At 5.3 eV incident molecular kinetic energy the hyperthermal surface ionization mass spectrum was dominated by the parent molecular ion. Upon the increase of the molecular kinetic energy, a gradual increase in the degree of ion dissociation was observed. At 22eV incident kinetic energy the parent ion was completely dissociated and the mass spectrum was dominated by an extensive consecutive fragmentation. An efficient kinetic-vibrational energy transfer was observed, and it is extimated to be over 18% of the available incident kinetic energy. The implication for surface collisionally-activated dissociation of polyatomic ions is discussed. Rhenium oxide is suggested as an optimal surface for this purpose, as well as for the hyperthermal surface ionization of neutral species.