Threshold Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence Research Articles

The N+ Formation Mechanism of Vibrationally Selected N2O+ Ions in the C2Σ+ State: A TPEPICO Imaging Study.

The N-NO bond fission of N2O+(C2Σ+) ions can produce two major fragment ions, NO+ or N+. In contrast to the dominant NO+ fragment ion, the N+ formation mechanism remains unclear to date. Here, dissociative photoionization of N2O via the C2Σ+ ionic state has been reinvestigated using a combined approach of threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging and quantum chemical calculations. Accompanying the N+(3P) formation, the NO(X2Π) neutral fragment with low and high vi-rotational distributions was identified, based on the N+ speed and angular distributions derived from the TPEPICO images. In particular, the excitation of the symmetric stretching ν1+ mode promotes the formation of high rotational components, while the asymmetric stretching ν3+ mode shows the exact opposite effect. According to our calculated multistate potential energy surfaces, intersystem crossing from C2Σ+ to 14Π exclusively provides feasible decomposition pathways to produce the N+ fragment. In a slightly bent geometry, spin-orbit couplings between C2Σ+ and two substates of 14Π, 14A' or 14A″, play a crucial role in the N+ formation from vibrationally selected N2O+(C2Σ+) ions. The mechanism also provides new insights into the charge transfer reaction of N+ + NO → N + NO+.

Unimolecular isomerisation of 1,5-hexadiyne observed by threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy.

The unimolecular isomerisation of the prompt propargyl + propargyl "head-to-head" adduct, 1,5-hexadiyne, to fulvene and benzene by the 3,4-dimethylenecyclobut-1-ene (DMCB) intermediate (all C6H6) was studied in the high-pressure limit by threshold photoelectron (TPE) spectroscopy. TPE spectra (TPES) were recorded with photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet radiation. Reference TPES, obtained using pure compounds or judiciously extracted from the pyrolysis data, served as basis functions for pyrolysis quantification. From these spectra, we measured a revised fulvene ionisation energy of 8.401 ± 0.005 eV. Temperature-dependent pyrolysis spectra were decomposed using these basis functions. The basis function coefficients were converted to product yields relying on assumed integral threshold photoionisation cross sections obtained by three, partially mutually exclusive sets of assumptions. Thus, the product yields of DMCB, fulvene, and benzene have been established, as well as their uncertainty. The derived mole fractions are consistent with modeling based on the C6H6 potential and RRKM master equation model of Miller and Klippenstein [J. Phys. Chem. A, 2003, 107, 7783]. Although our results are fully consistent with the parallel isomerisation pathways to benzene and fulvene found by Miller and Klippenstein, we observe the onset of fulvene at a lower temperature than that of the onset of benzene, in agreement with the master equation model but in contrast to the previous experiments of Stein et al. [Proc. Combust. Inst., 1990, 23, 85]. This work promotes the use of photoion mass-selected threshold photoelectron spectroscopy as a rapid, sensitive, isomer-selective, and quantitative detection tool among the panoply of established analytical techniques.

Ro-vibrational Distribution of NO+ Dissociated from NO2+ Ions in the a3B2 and b3A2 States: A Slow "Impulsive" Dissociation Example Revealed from Threshold Photoelectron-Photoion Coincidence Imaging.

To clarify the contentions about dissociative photoionization mechanism of nitrogen dioxide via the a3B2 and b3A2 ionic states, a new threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging has been conducted in the 12.8-14.0 eV energy range at the Hefei Light Source. The fine vibrational-resolved threshold photoelectron spectrum agrees well with the previous measurements. The ro-vibrational distributions of NO+, as the unique fragment ion in the dissociation of NO2+ in specific vibronic levels of a3B2 and b3A2 states, are derived from the recorded TPEPICO velocity images. A "cold" vibrational (v+ = 0) and "hot" rotational population is observed at the a3B2(0,3,0) and (0,4,0) vibronic levels, while the dissociation of NO2+ in b3A2(0,0,0) leads to the NO+ fragment with both hot vibrational and rotational populations. With the aid of the quantum chemical calculations at the time-dependent B3LYP level, minimum energy paths on the potential energy surfaces of the a3B2 and b3A2 states clarify their adiabatic dissociation mechanisms near the thresholds, and this study proposes reliable explanations for the observed internal energy distributions of fragment ions. Additionally, this study provides valuable insights into the application of the classical "impulsive" model on an overall slow dissociation process.

C-F and C-H bond cleavage mechanisms of trifluoromethane ions in low-lying electronic states: threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence imaging and theoretical investigations.

Dissociative ionization of trifluoromethane (CHF3) is investigated in the 13.9-18.0 eV energy range using the threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) technique coupled to a vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation source. Four electronic states of CHF3+, i.e., the X2A1, A2A2, B2E, and C2E states, are populated upon ionization. In this energy range, the parent CHF3+ ions fully dissociate. For the CHF3+ ions in the ground state, the analysis of the time-of-flight profile of the unique CF3+ fragment ions suggests statistical dissociation. For the electronically excited CHF3+ ions, the C-F bond cleavage preferentially occurs to predominantly produce CHF2+ + F. Moreover, all TPEPICO images of the CHF2+ ions exhibit identical patterns, with a weak central spot revealing a previously unobserved statistical decomposition pathway, and the predominant ring in the images documents a fast nonstatistical dissociation channel. The unimolecular decomposition mechanisms of the CHF3+ ions are illuminated with the aid of the one-dimensional potential energy curves along the C-H and C-F coordinates calculated using the time-dependent density-functional theory. Moreover, a comparison of the dissociation dynamics of CHF3+ in these low-lying states with those of CF3Cl+ strongly suggests a substituent effect of chlorine atoms on the binding structure.

Dissociation dynamics of energy-selected ions using threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence velocity imaging

Threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) is a powerful method to prepare and analyze internal energy- or state-selected ions. Here, we review the state-of-the-art TPEPICO imaging technique combining with tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation and its recent applications at Hefei Light Source (HLS), especially on the fundamental data measurement and the dissociation dynamics of ions. By applying the double velocity map imaging for both electrons and ions in coincidence, the collection efficiency of the charged particles, the electron energy resolution and the resolving power of the released kinetic energy in dissociation have been greatly improved. The kinetic energy and the angular distributions of fragment ions dissociated from parent ions with definitive internal energy or state have been acquired directly from TPEPICO images. Some dissociation mechanisms involving non-adiabatic quantum effects, like conical intersection and internal conversion, have been revealed. Moreover, the mass-selected threshold photoelectron spectroscopy (MS-TPES) shows tremendous advantages in isomer-specific analysis of complex systems.

Dissociative photoionization of CF3Cl via the C2E and D2E states: competition of the C-F and C-Cl bond cleavages.

The dissociative photoionization of CF3Cl was investigated using threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) imaging in the energy range of 12.30-18.50 eV. The coincident time-of-flight mass spectra and three-dimensional time-sliced images of the CF2Cl+ fragment were recorded at a few specific photon energies. Two fragmentation pathways were observed that led to the breakage of the C-Cl and C-F bonds, while the branching ratio elicited an energy-dependent relationship. The CF3+ fragment was dominant in the dissociation of the X2E, A2A' and B2A'' states, while CF2Cl+ became the predominant fragment and its branching ratio remained constant in the energy range associated with the C2E and D2E states. Based on the inflection point in the energy-dependent curve of the fragment branching ratios, the adiabatic ionization energy (IEa) of C2E is suggested to be 15.46 eV. Although the excess energy increased considerably from C2E to D2E, the kinetic energy release distributions (KERDs) of CF2Cl+ were similar. Moreover, the anisotropy parameters β for the F-loss channel were positive and larger than those for the Cl-loss channel. The calculated F-loss potential energy curves of CF3Cl+ suggested that for the C2E and D2E states, the C-F bond rupture occurred via the internal conversion to the A2A' state followed by the dissociation attributed to the crossing of the barrier along the C-F coordinate. Based on the experimental and theoretical conclusions, the internal conversion is the rate-determining step in the dissociative photoionization of CF3Cl via the C2E and D2E ionic states, irrespective of whether the C-F and C-Cl bonds rupture.

Single photon ionization of methyl isocyanide and the subsequent unimolecular decomposition of its cation: experiment and theory.

Methyl isocyanide, CH3NC, is a key compound in astrochemistry and astrobiology. A combined theoretical and experimental investigation of the single photon ionization of gas phase methyl isocyanide and its fragmentation pathways is presented. Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation based experiments are used to measure the threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) spectra between 10.6 and 15.5 eV. This allowed us to experimentally determine the adiabatic ionization energy (AIE) and fragment ion appearance energies (AE) of gas-phase methyl isocyanide. Its AIE has been measured with a precision never achieved before. It is found to be AIEexp = 11.263 ± 0.005 eV. We observe a vibrational progression upon ionization corresponding to the population of vibrational levels of the ground state of the methyl isocyanide cation. In addition, four fragment ion appearance energies (AEs) were measured to be AE (m/z 40) = 12.80 ± 0.05 eV, AE (m/z 39) = 13.70 ± 0.05, AE (m/z 15) = 13.90 ± 0.05 eV, AE (m/z 14) 13.85 ± 0.05 eV, respectively. In order to interpret the experimental data, we performed state-of-the-art computations using the explicitly correlated coupled cluster approach. We also considered the zero-point vibrational energy (ZPVE), core-valence (CV) and scalar relativistic (SR) effects. The results of theoretical calculations of the AIE and AEs are in excellent agreement with the experimental findings allowing for assignment of the fragmentations to the loss of neutral H, H2, CN and HCN upon ionization of CH3NC. The computations show that in addition to the obvious bond breakings, some of the corresponding ionic fragments result from rearrangements - upon photon absorption - either before or after electron ejection.

Photoionization studies of reactive intermediates using synchrotron radiation.

Photoionization of reactive intermediates with synchrotron radiation has reached a sufficiently advanced stage of development that it can now contribute to a number of areas in gas-phase chemistry and physics. These include the detection and spectroscopic study of reactive intermediates produced by bimolecular reactions, photolysis, pyrolysis or discharge sources, and the monitoring of reactive intermediates in situ in environments such as flames. This review summarises advances in the study of reactive intermediates with synchrotron radiation using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and constant-ionic-state (CIS) methods with angular resolution, and threshold photoelectron spectroscopy (TPES), taking examples mainly from the recent work of the Southampton group. The aim is to focus on the main information to be obtained from the examples considered. As future research in this area also involves photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) and threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) spectroscopy, these methods are also described and previous related work on reactive intermediates with these techniques is summarised. The advantages of using PEPICO and TPEPICO to complement and extend TPES and angularly resolved PES and CIS studies on reactive intermediates are highlighted.

Cl-Loss dynamics in the dissociative photoionization of CF3Cl with threshold photoelectron–photoion coincidence imaging

The dissociative photoionization of CF3Cl was investigated in the photon energy range of 12.30-18.50 eV. The low-lying electronic states of CF3Cl+ cations were prepared by the method of threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO). The threshold photoelectron spectrum and the coincident time-of-flight mass spectra at the specific photon energies were recorded. Only a CF3+ fragment was observed at lower energy, while a CF2Cl+ fragment appeared for C2E and D2E states. As Cl-loss from the ground ionic state is statistical, the total kinetic energy release distribution (KERD) is represented as a Boltzmann profile, and a 0 K appearance energy of AP0 =12.79 ± 0.02 eV is derived from the statistical modelling of the breakdown diagram from 12.60 to 12.85 eV without taking into account the kinetic shift. For the A2A1 and B2A2 states of CF3Cl+ cations, the total KERDs are bimodal, where a parallel faster dissociation appears together with the statistical distribution. At higher energies like the C2E and D2E ionic states, a bimodal distribution similar to that of the A2A1 and B2A2 states is also observed for the KERD. With the aid of the calculated Cl-loss potential energy curves, the dissociative mechanisms of internal energy-selected CF3Cl+ cations are proposed.

Cl-Loss Dynamics of Vinyl Chloride Cations in the B2A″ State: Role of the C2A' State.

The dissociative photoionization of vinyl chloride (C2H3Cl) in the 11.0-14.2 eV photon energy range was investigated using threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity map imaging. Three electronic states, namely, A2A', B2A″, and C2A', of the C2H3Cl+ cation were prepared, and their dissociation dynamics were investigated. A unique fragment ion, C2H3+, was observed within the excitation energy range. TPEPICO three-dimensional time-sliced velocity map images of C2H3+ provided the kinetic energy release distributions (KERD) and anisotropy parameters in dissociation of internal-energy-selected C2H3Cl+ cations. At 13.14 eV, the total KERD showed a bimodal distribution consisting of Boltzmann- and Gaussian-type components, indicating a competition between statistical and non-statistical dissociation mechanisms. An additional Gaussian-type component was found in the KERD at 13.65 eV, a center of which was located at a lower kinetic energy. The overall dissociative photoionization mechanisms of C2H3Cl+ in the B2A″ and C2A' states are proposed based on time-dependent density functional theory calculations of the Cl-loss potential energy curves. Our results highlight the inconsistency of previous conclusions on the dissociation mechanism of C2H3Cl+.

Ionic dissociation dynamics and energetics of hexamethyldigermanium, (CH3)6Ge2, by threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy

Threshold Photoelectron-Photoion Coincidence Spectroscopy (TPEPICO) has been used to study the ionic dissociation dynamics and energetics of Me6Ge2 (Me=CH3). Ions are energy-selected and the 0K dissociation onsets for methyl and Me3Ge loss are obtained from the breakdown diagram and mass spectra distributions, both of them analyzed and modeled with statistical SSACM theory and quantum chemical (DFT, MP2) calculations. An updated value for the enthalpy of formation, ΔfHm0(g) of Me6Ge2, is used to derive ΔfHm0(Me3Ge,g)=70.8±8.9kJ·mol−1. The bond dissociation enthalpies, BDE (GeX), of Me3GeX (X=Me, GeMe3, Cl and Br) were also derived in this study.

Advances in threshold photoelectron spectroscopy (TPES) and threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO).

The history and evolution of molecular threshold photoelectron spectroscopy and threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy (TPEPICO) over the last fifty years are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on instrumentation and the extraction of dynamical information about energy selected ion dissociation, not on the detailed spectroscopy of certain molecules. Three important advances have expanded greatly the power of the technique, and permitted its implementation on modern synchrotron radiation beamlines. The use of velocity focusing of threshold electrons onto an imaging detector in the 1990s simultaneously improved the sensitivity and electron energy resolution, and also facilitated the subtraction of hot electron background in both threshold electron spectroscopy and TPEPICO studies. The development of multi-start multi-stop collection detectors for both electrons and ions in the 2000s permitted the use of the full intensity of modern synchrotron radiation thereby greatly improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, recent developments involving imaging electrons in a range of energies as well as ions onto separate position-sensitive detectors has further improved the collection sensitivity so that low density samples found in a variety of studies can be investigated. As a result, photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy is now well positioned to address a range of challenging problems that include the quantitative determination of compositions of isomer mixtures, and the detection and spectroscopy of free radicals produced in pyrolysis or discharge sources as well as in combustion studies.

Synchrotron threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy of radicals produced in a pyrolysis source: The methyl radical

We present here a flash pyrolysis source coupled with a threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) spectrometer and vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation to investigate the spectroscopy and photochemistry of free radicals. The radicals are produced from pyrolysis in a heated silicon carbide tube, and the TPEPICO scheme provides a strategy to obtain pure spectra of the radicals without contamination from other byproducts. As a representative example, the methyl radical was studied, and its threshold photoelectron spectrum shows a series of umbrella vibrational transitions. The adiabatic ionization energy of the methyl radical was determined to be 9.84±0.01eV.

Rotamers and Migration: Investigating the Dissociative Photoionization of Ethylenediamine.

The unimolecular dissociation of energy-selected ethylenediamine cations was studied by threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy (TPEPICO) in the photon energy range of 8.60-12.50 eV. Modeling the breakdown diagram and time-of-flight distributions with rigid activated complex RRKM theory yielded 0 K appearance energies for eight dissociation channels, leading to NH2CHCH2(+)(•) at 9.120 ± 0.010 eV, CH3C(NH2)2(+) at 9.200 ± 0.012 eV, NH2CHCH3(+) at 9.34 ± 0.08 eV, CH2NH2(+) at 9.449 ± 0.025 eV, CH2NH3(+) at 9.8 ± 0.1 eV, c-C2H4NH2(+) at 10.1 ± 0.1 eV, CH3NHCHCH2(+) at 10.2 ± 0.1 eV, and the reappearance of CH2NH2(+) at 10.2 ± 0.1 eV. The CBS-QB3-calculated pathways highlighted the influence of intramolecular hydrogen attractions on the dissociation processes, presenting novel isomers and low-energy van der Waals intermediates that led to fragments in good agreement with experimental results. While most of the dissociation channels take place through reverse barriers, the 0 K heat of formation of (•)CH2NH2 was determined to be 147.6 ± 3.7 kJ mol(-1), in excellent agreement with literature, and the 0 K heat of formation of CH2NH3(+) at 844 ± 10 kJ mol(-1) is the first experimentally measured value available and is in good agreement with theory.

Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization of Complex Chemical Systems.

Tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation coupled to mass spectrometry is applied to the study of complex chemical systems. The identification of novel reactive intermediates and radicals is revealed in flame, pulsed photolysis, and pyrolysis reactors, leading to the elucidation of spectroscopy, reaction mechanisms, and kinetics. Mass-resolved threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence measurements provide unprecedented access to vibrationally resolved spectra of free radicals present in high-temperature reactors. Photoionization measurements in water clusters, nucleic acid base dimers, and their complexes with water provide signatures of proton transfer in hydrogen-bonded and π-stacked systems. Experimental and theoretical methods to track ion-molecule reactions and fragmentation pathways in intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen-bonded systems in sugars and alcohols are described. Photoionization of laser-ablated molecules, clusters, and their reaction products inform thermodynamics and spectroscopy that are relevant to astrochemistry and catalysis. New directions in coupling VUV radiation to interrogate complex chemical systems are discussed.

Barrierless proton transfer across weak CH⋯O hydrogen bonds in dimethyl ether dimer.

We present a combined computational and threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence study of two isotopologues of dimethyl ether, (DME - h6)n and (DME - d6)n n = 1 and 2, in the 9-14 eV photon energy range. Multiple isomers of neutral dimethyl ether dimer were considered, all of which may be present, and exhibited varying C-H⋯O interactions. Results from electronic structure calculations predict that all of them undergo barrierless proton transfer upon photoionization to the ground electronic state of the cation. In fact, all neutral isomers were found to relax to the same radical cation structure. The lowest energy dissociative photoionization channel of the dimer leads to CH3OHCH3 (+) by the loss of CH2OCH3 with a 0 K appearance energy of 9.71 ± 0.03 eV and 9.73 ± 0.03 eV for (DME - h6)2 and deuterated (DME - d6)2, respectively. The ground state threshold photoelectron spectrum band of the dimethyl ether dimer is broad and exhibits no vibrational structure. Dimerization results in a 350 meV decrease of the valence band appearance energy, a 140 meV decrease of the band maximum, thus an almost twofold increase in the ground state band width, compared with DME - d6 monomer.

Theoretical and Experimental Photoelectron Spectroscopy Characterization of the Ground State of Thymine Cation.

We report on the vibronic structure of the ground state X̃(2)A″ of the thymine cation, which has been measured using a threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence technique and vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation. The threshold photoelectron spectrum, recorded over ∼0.7 eV above the ionization potential (i.e., covering the whole ground state of the cation) shows rich vibrational structure that has been assigned with the help of calculated anharmonic modes of the ground electronic cation state at the PBE0/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The adiabatic ionization energy has been experimentally determined as AIE = 8.913 ± 0.005 eV, in very good agreement with previous high resolution results. The corresponding theoretical value of AIE = 8.917 eV has been calculated in this work with the explicitly correlated method/basis set (R)CCSD(T)-F12/cc-pVTZ-F12, which validates the theoretical approach and benchmarks its accuracy for future studies of medium-sized biological molecules.

Dissociative VUV photoionization of butanediol isomers

Dissociative ionization of 1,3-butanediol and 2,3-butanediol isomers is investigated using threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) measurements scanned across a photon energy range of approximately 4eV from threshold. Breakdown diagrams prepared from these internal energy-selected data display significant isomer-specific behavior. The observed fragment appearance energies are compared with calculated thresholds to allow identification, where possible, of the fragmentation pathways. In turn, these are rationalized by comparison with calculated parent ion structures. The roles of intermolecular H-bonding and weak one-electron CC bonding in the parent cations are discussed.

Theoretical Study of the Dissociation Energy of First-Row Metallocenium Ions.

The bond dissociation energy of a series of metallocenium ions, i.e., the energy difference of the reaction MCp2(+) → MCp(+) + Cp· (with M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni), was studied by means of multiconfigurational perturbation theory (CASPT2, RASPT2, NEVPT2) and restricted coupled cluster theory (CCSD(T)). From a comparison between the results obtained from these different methods, and a detailed analysis of their treatment of electron correlation effects, a set of MCp(+)-Cp binding energies are proposed with an accuracy of 5 kcal/mol. The computed results are in good agreement with the experimental data measured by threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) spectroscopy but disagree with the more recent threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) experiments.

Photoionization and pyrolysis of a 1,4-azaborinine: retro-hydroboration in the cation and identification of novel organoboron ring systems.

The photoionization and dissociative photoionization of 1,4-di-tert-butyl-1,4-azaborinine by means of synchrotron radiation and threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy is reported. The ionization energy of the compound was determined to be 7.89 eV. Several low-lying electronically excited states in the cation were identified. The various pathways for dissociative photoionization were modeled by statistical theory, and appearance energies AE0K were obtained. The loss of isobutene in a retro-hydroboration reaction is the dominant pathway, which proceeds with a reverse barrier. Pyrolysis of the parent compound in a chemical reactor leads to the generation of several yet unobserved boron compounds. The ionization energies of the C4 H6 BN isomers 1,2- and 1,4-dihydro-1,4-azaborinine and the C3 H6 BN isomer 1,2-dihydro-1,3-azaborole were determined from threshold photoelectron spectra.