Cryo Tagging Infrared Spectroscopy and Temperature Controlled Kinetic Studies in a Tandem Trap Mass Spectrometer

In the present work, the interaction of diatomic molecules with charged transition metal clusters and complexes was investigated. Temperature controlled isothermal kinetic studies served to elucidate the adsorption behavior of transition metal clusters. Infrared multiple photon dissociation (IR-MPD) experiments in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) computations enabled the analysis of adsorbate induced changes on the structure and spin multiplicity of transition metal cores. A tandem cryo trap setup was used for the kinetic and spectroscopic investigations of the given compounds as isolated species in the gas phase. The presented investigations enabled insight into the metal-adsorbate bonding and provided cluster size and adsorbate coverage dependent information on cluster surface morphologies

Long-term monitoring of the internal energy distribution of isolated cluster systems

A method is presented to monitor the internal energy distribution of cluster anions via delayed electron detachment by pulsed photoexcitation and demonstrated on Co$_4{}^-$ in an electrostatic ion beam trap. In cryogenic operation, we calibrate the detachment delay to internal energy. By laser frequency scans, at room temperature, we reconstruct the time-dependent internal energy distribution of the clusters. The mean energies of ensembles from a cold and a hot ion source both approach thermal equilibrium. Our data yield a radiative emission law and the absorptivity of the cluster for thermal radiation.Comment: Manuscript LaTeX with 6 pages, 4 figures, plus LaTeX supplement with 9 pages, 4 figures and 2 tables. This article has been accepted by Physical Review Letter

Cryo Tagging Infrared Spectroscopy and Temperature Controlled Kinetic Studies in a Tandem Trap Mass Spectrometer

In the present work, the interaction of diatomic molecules with charged transition metal clusters and complexes was investigated. Temperature controlled isothermal kinetic studies served to elucidate the adsorption behavior of transition metal clusters. Infrared multiple photon dissociation (IR-MPD) experiments in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) computations enabled the analysis of adsorbate induced changes on the structure and spin multiplicity of transition metal cores. A tandem cryo trap setup was used for the kinetic and spectroscopic investigations of the given compounds as isolated species in the gas phase. The presented investigations enabled insight into the metal-adsorbate bonding and provided cluster size and adsorbate coverage dependent information on cluster surface morphologies

Cryo Kinetics and Spectroscopy of Cationic Nickel Clusters: Rough and Smooth Surfaces

The stepwise N₂ adsorption on size selected Ni₉⁺ and Ni₁₃⁺ clusters at 26 K is studied in a hybrid tandem ion trap instrument. Adsorption kinetics of these clusters in conjunction with infrared photon dissociation (IR-PD) spectroscopy of their cluster adsorbate complexes allows for the elucidation of various N₂ coverage and cluster size dependent effects, which are related to the rough Ni₉⁺ and smooth Ni₁₃⁺ cluster surface morphologies. Pseudo-first-order kinetic fits confirm consecutive adsorption steps by single exponential decays exclusively. The recorded IR-PD spectra of all observed cluster adsorbate complexes reveal IR active vibrational bands at frequencies of 2170–2260 cm^–1, which coincides with the range of metal head-on coordinated N–N stretching modes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm the experiments and reinforce a possible isomerization with low N₂ coverage in the case of Ni₉⁺

Cryo infrared spectroscopy of N2 adsorption onto bimetallic rhodium–iron clusters in isolation

We investigated the N2 adsorption behavior of bimetallic rhodium–iron cluster cations [RhiFej(N2)m]+ by means of InfraRed MultiplePhotoDissociation (IR-MPD) spectroscopy in comparison with density functional theory (DFT) modeling. This approach allows us to refine our kinetic results [Ehrhard et al., J. Chem. Phys. (in press)] to enhance our conclusions. We focus on a selection of cluster adsorbate complexes within the ranges of i = j = 3–8 and m = 1–10. For i = j = 3, 4, DFT suggests alloy structures in the case of i = j = 4 of high (D2d) symmetry: Rh–Fe bonds are preferred instead of Fe–Fe bonds or Rh–Rh bonds. N2 adsorption and IR-MPD studies reveal strong evidence for preferential adsorption to Rh sites and mere secondary adsorption to Fe. In some cases, we observe adsorption isomers. With the help of modeling the cluster adsorbate complex [Rh3Fe3(N2)7]+, we find clear evidence that the position of IR bands allows for an element specific assignment of an adsorption site. We transfer these findings to the [Rh4Fe4(N2)m]+ cluster adsorbate complex where the first four N2 molecules are exclusively adsorbed to the Rh atoms. The spectra of the larger adsorbates reveal N2 adsorption onto the Fe atoms. Thus, the spectroscopic findings are well interpreted for the smaller clusters in terms of computed structures, and both compare well to those of our accompanying kinetic study [Ehrhard et al., J. Chem. Phys. (in press)]. In contrast to our previous studies of bare rhodium clusters, the present investigations do not provide any indication for a spin quench in [RhiFej(N2)m]+ upon stepwise N2 adsorption

Cryo spectroscopy of N2 on cationic iron clusters

Infrared photodissociation (IR-PD) spectra of iron cluster dinitrogen adsorbate complexes [Fen(N2)m]+ for n = 8–20 reveal slightly redshifted IR active bands in the region of 2200–2340 cm−1. These bands mostly relate to stretching vibrations of end-on coordinated N2 chromophores, a μ1,end end-on binding motif. Density Functional Theory (DFT) modeling and detailed analysis of n = 13 complexes are consistent with an icosahedral Fe13+ core structure. The first adsorbate shell closure at (n,m) = (13,12)—as recognized by the accompanying paper on the kinetics of N2 uptake by cationic iron clusters—comes with extensive IR-PD band broadening resulting from enhanced couplings among adjacent N2 adsorbates. DFT modeling predicts spin quenching by N2 adsorption as evidenced by the shift of the computed spin minima among possible spin states (spin valleys). The IR-PD spectrum of (17,1) surprisingly reveals an absence of any structure but efficient non-resonant fragmentation, which might indicate some weakly bound (roaming) N2 adsorbate. The multiple and broad bands of (17,m) for all other cases than (17,1) and (17,7) indicate a high degree of variation in N2 binding motifs and couplings. In contrast, the (17,7) spectrum of six sharp bands suggests pairwise equivalent N2 adsorbates. The IR-PD spectra of (18,m) reveal additional features in the 2120–2200 cm−1 region, which we associate with a μ1,side side-on motif. Some additional features in the (18,m) spectra at high N2 loads indicate a μ1,tilt tilted end-on adsorption motif

Kinetics of stepwise nitrogen adsorption by size-selected iron cluster cations: Evidence for size-dependent nitrogen phobia

We present a study of stepwise cryogenic N2 adsorption on size-selected Fen+ (n = 8–20) clusters within a hexapole collision cell held at T = 21–28 K. The stoichiometries of the observed adsorption limits and the kinetic fits of stepwise N2 uptake reveal cluster size-dependent variations that characterize four structural regions. Exploratory density functional theory studies support tentative structural assignment in terms of icosahedral, hexagonal antiprismatic, and closely packed structural motifs. There are three particularly noteworthy cases, Fe13+ with a peculiar metastable adsorption limit, Fe17+ with unprecedented nitrogen phobia (inefficient N2 adsorption), and Fe18+ with an isomeric mixture that undergoes relaxation upon considerable N2 uptake