Dissociative Electron Attachment to Molecular Acetonitrile.

Abstract

Low-energy dissociative electron attachment to molecular acetonitrile (CH3CN) is investigated by recording the efficiency curves of CH2CN-, CHCN-, and CN- products, but the present curves are distinctly different from those in the previous reports. Now it is recommended that the reaction thresholds of e- + CH3CN → H2 + CHCN- and CH3 + CN- are respectively about 1.51 and 1.52 eV, and four shape-resonant states, one 2Π and three 2∑, of CH3CN- are involved in the fragmentations at the low and high electron-attachment energies. By using a high-resolution anion velocity-map imaging spectrometer, we obtain the CN- momentum images at the electron attachment energies of 7.10, 7.60, and 8.10 eV and interpret them with four pathways concerning two- and three-body dissociations.