Suppression of decomposition of aniline cation in intense laser fields by cluster formation with NH 3 and H 2O

Abstract

Using a tandem-type time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, the mass-selected aniline (AN)–water cluster cations, [AN(H 2O) n ] + ( n=1, 2), were irradiated with the intense femtosecond (fs) laser fields ( λ∼395 nm, I∼5×10 15 W/cm 2, Δ t∼50 fs). By the cluster formation with H 2O, decomposition of AN +, AN +→C 5H 6 ++HNC, induced by the intense fs laser fields was significantly suppressed. From the observation that the suppression of the decomposition of AN + occurs from [AN(H 2O) n ] + more efficiently than from [AN(NH 3) n ] + ( n=1, 2), the effect of the cluster formation on the decomposition process was discussed.