Electron-Stimulated Desorption of Positive Ions from Methanol Adsorbed on a Solid Ar Substrate

Abstract

Electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) of positive ions from weakly physisorbed molecules has been investigated. From methanol adsorbed on a solid Ar substrate, the protonated cluster ions of the type H+(CH3OH) n(n = 1 - 4) are emitted, together with the fragment ions such as [Formula: see text](n = 0 - 3), H3O+, CHO+, CH3O+, etc. The yields of these ions are markedly enhanced at the smallest coverage and decay steeply with increasing coverage. Coulomb explosion between valence holes confined in adsorbed nanoclusters is responsible for the enhanced ion yields. Very few ions except for H+ are emitted from a thick layer as well as nanoclusters adsorbed directly on a metal substrate due to the delocalization of valence holes.