Mass Spectrometric and Photoelectron Spectroscopic Studies of Zirconium Oxide Molecular and Cluster Anions

Abstract

We present a preliminary report on our mass spectrometric and photoelectron spectroscopic studies of zirconium oxide molecular and cluster anions using a newly built laser vaporization/time-of-flight/magnetic bottle, negative ion photoelectron spectrometer. This work was motivated in part by evidence which suggests that zirconium dioxide catalyzes the radiolysis of interfacial water. We present our mass spectrometric observations of oxygen-rich zirconium oxide cluster anions and our photoelectron spectra of ZrO− and ZrO2−. From the photoelectron spectrum of ZrO−, the adiabatic electron affinity of ZrO was determined to be 1.3±0.3 eV, and from this value, the dissociation energy of ZrO− (into Zr and O−) was found to be 7.8±0.3 eV. From the photoelectron spectrum of ZrO2, the adiabatic electron affinity of ZrO2 was determined to be 1.8±0.4 eV.