Photodissociation dynamics of doubly charged iron pentacarbonyl Fe(CO) 52+

Abstract

The dissociation of Fe(CO) 5 2+ has been examined in detail by photoionisation mass spectrometry and photoelectronphotoion-photoion coincidence spectroscopy with position-sensitive ion detection (PSD-PEPIPICO). The major pathways are confirmed to be sequential CO losses from the doubly and singly charged ions; just one CO is lost after charge separation. Reaction pathways for formation of minor products involve neutral CO 2 loss and formation of the dimeric (CO) 2 + ion. The kinetic energy releases in neutral CO and CO 2 ejection are found to be of the order of 100 meV in all cases.