Collisions with biomolecules embedded in small water clusters

International audienceWe have studied fragmentation of water embedded adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) anions after collisions with neutral sodium atoms. At a collision energy of 50 keV, loss of water molecules from the collisionally excited cluster ions is the dominant process and fragmentation of the AMP itself is almost completely prohibited if the number of attached water molecules is larger than 13. However, regardless of the initial number of water molecules attached to the ion, capture of an electron, i.e. formation of a dianion, always leads to loss of a single hydrogen atom accompanied by evaporation of water molecules. This damaging effect becomes more important as the size of the water cluster increases, which is just the opposite to the protective behavior observed for collision induced dissociation (CID) without electron transfer. For both cases, the loss of water molecules within the experimental time frame is qualitatively well described by means of a common model of an evaporative ensemble. These simulations, however, indicate that characteristically different distributions of internal energy are involved in CID and electron capture induced dissociation

Tracking molecular resonance forms of donor-acceptor push-pull molecules by single-molecule conductance experiments

The ability of molecules to change colour on account of changes in solvent polarity is known as solvatochromism and used spectroscopically to characterize charge-transfer transitions in donor-acceptor molecules. Here we report that donor-acceptor-substituted molecular wires also exhibit distinct properties in single-molecule electronics under the influence of a bias voltage, but in absence of solvent. Two oligo(phenyleneethynylene) wires with donor-acceptor substitution on the central ring (cruciform-like) exhibit remarkably broad conductance peaks measured by the mechanically controlled break-junction technique with gold contacts, in contrast to the sharp peak of simpler molecules. From a theoretical analysis, we explain this by different degrees of charge delocalization and hence cross-conjugation at the central ring. Thus, small variations in the local environment promote the quinoid resonance form (off), the linearly conjugated (on) or any form in between. This shows how the conductance of donor-acceptor cruciforms is tuned by small changes in the environment

Electron-Capture–Induced Dissociation of Protoporphyrin IX Ions

Electron-capture induced dissociation of protoporphyrin cations and anions has been studied. The cations captured two electrons in two successive collisions and were converted to the corresponding even-electron anions. About one fifth of the ions lost a hydrogen atom to become radical anions but otherwise very little fragmentation was observed. The anions captured an electron to become dianions. No hydrogen loss occurred, and the only fragmentation channel observed was loss of CO2H, to give a doubly charged carbanion. Our results indicate that protoporphyrin ions are very efficient in accommodating one or even two electrons in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the porphyrin macrocycle, and that electron capture induces only limited dissociation. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2008, 19, 809–813

Near-infrared photoabsorption by C-60 dianions in a storage ring

We present a detailed study of the electronic structure and the stability of C-60 dianions in the gas phase. Monoanions were extracted from a plasma source and converted to dianions by electron transfer in a Na vapor cell. The dianions were then stored in an electrostatic ring, and their near-infrared absorption spectrum was measured by observation of laser induced electron detachment. From the time dependence of the detachment after photon absorption, we conclude that the reaction has contributions from both direct electron tunneling to the continuum and vibrationally assisted tunneling after internal conversion. This implies that the height of the Coulomb barrier confining the attached electrons is at least similar to 1.5 eV. For C-60(2-) ions in solution electron spin resonance measurements have indicated a singlet ground state, and from the similarity of the absorption spectra we conclude that also the ground state of isolated C-60(2-) ions is singlet. The observed spectrum corresponds to an electronic transition from a t(1u) lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of C-60 to the t(1g) LUMO+1 level. The electronic levels of the dianion are split due to Jahn-Teller coupling to quadrupole deformations of the molecule, and a main absorption band at 10723 cm(-1) corresponds to a transition between the Jahn-Teller ground states. Also transitions from pseudorotational states with 200 cm(-1) and (probably) 420 cm(-1) excitation are observed. We argue that a very broad absorption band from about 11 500 cm(-1) to 13 500 cm(-1) consists of transitions to so-called cone states, which are Jahn-Teller states on a higher potential-energy surface, stabilized by a pseudorotational angular momentum barrier. A previously observed, high-lying absorption band for C-60(-) may also be a transition to a cone state

Settlement and Land Use at the Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in Southern Scandinavia

Settlement and Land Use at the Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in Southern Scandinavi