Gas-phase solvation of NO+, O+2, N2O+, N2OH+, and H3O+ with N2O

Abstract

Gas-phase clustering reactions of NO+, O+2, N2O+, N2OH+, and H3O+ with N2O were measured with a pulsed electron-beam high pressure mass spectrometer. The bond in NO+(N2O)n is found to be electrostatic, while those in O+2(N2O)1, N2O+(N2O)1, and N2OH+(N2O)1 have covalent character. The observed n dependence of −ΔH0n−1,n for the clustering reactions suggests that the cluster ions have the structures of the core ion plus ligand molecules, i.e., NO+(N2O)3(N2O)n−3, O+2N2O(N2O)n−1, (N2O)+2(N2O)n−1, H+N2O(N2O)1(N2O)n−1, and H3O+(N2O)3(N2O)n−3. The N2O molecule forms stronger bonds with NO+, O+2, and H3O+ ions than the isoelectronic CO2 molecule, indicating that N2O is a stronger nucleophilic reagent than CO2.