Formation of the gas-phase aluminum sulfide cations Al xS +y and their reactions with NO 2

Abstract

Aluminum sulfide cations were formed by direct laser vaporization of Al 2S 3 in a Fourier transform mass spectrometer. The most abundant series of ions is the mono-metal sulfides AlS + y ( y=1–6). The Al 5(S/O) + 7 and Al 7(S/O) + 10 ion series provide evidence for surface reactions of the bulk Al 2S 3 with background water. Substitution of oxygen for sulfur in reactions with NO 2 indicates that oxygen is more strongly bound to aluminum than sulfur. These reactions also suggest that the mono-metal ions consist of multiple S and S 2 ligands bonded to the metal, with the exception of AlS + 6 which may have a sulfur ring ligand.