Abstract
In this thesis, properties of freestanding atomic/molecular clusters are experimentally addressed using various synchrotron radiation and electron ionization based electron and ion spectroscopic methods. The work focuses on water clusters with and without dopant atoms/molecules, including ≲3nm sized [H₂O]N, [H₂O]N[KCl]M, [H₂O]NArM and ArN clusters. The surface properties of larger 100–200nm sized MgCl₂/CaCl₂ and MgBr₂/NaBr nanoparticles generated from precursor solution droplets are also investigated. The experiments provide fundamental level information on the particles’ chemical and structural composition in relation to their formation conditions, electronic properties, and dynamical response to ionizing radiation. Instrumentation was also developed for the generation and characterization of the clusters
