Gas-phase Cu +– and Ag +–glycine complexes produced with a new source

Abstract

A combination of the laser ablation of a metal target with an effusive amino acid oven and the free-jet expansion of helium is employed in order to produce gas-phase metal cation–amino acid complexes in a molecular beam. With this source, Cu +–glycine and Ag +–glycine complexes are formed through gas-phase reactions and are analyzed using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. From the mass spectra we conclude that copper is dicoordinated while silver can attract up to four glycine molecules.