Photodissociation channels for N2O near 130 nm studied by product imaging

The photodissociation of N(2)O at wavelengths near 130 nm has been investigated by velocity-mapped product imaging. In all, five dissociation channels have been detected, leading to the following products: O((1)S)+N(2)(X (1)Sigma), N((2)D)+NO(X (2)Pi), N((2)P)+NO(X (2)Pi), O((3)P) + N(2)(A (3)Sigma(+) (u)), and O((3)P) + N(2)(B (3)Pi(g)). The most significant channel is to the products O((1)S) + N(2)(X(1)Sigma), with strong vibrational excitation in the N(2). The O((3)P) + N(2)(A,B):N((2)D,(2)P) + NO branching ratio is measured to be 1.4 +/- 0.5, while the N(2)(A) + O((3)P(J)):N(2)(B) + O((3)P(J)) branching ratio is determined to be 0.84+/-0.09. The spin-orbit distributions for the O((3)P(J)), N((2)P(J)), and N((2)D(J)) products were also determined. The angular distributions of the products are in qualitative agreement with excitation to the N(2)O(D (1)Sigma(+)) state, with participation as well by the (3)Pi(v) state.     

Absolute rate coefficients for the reactions of O2- + N(4S(3/2)) and O2- + O(3P) at 298 K in a selected-ion flow tube instrument

The absolute rate coefficients at 298 K for the reactions of O(2) (-) + N((4)S(3/2)) and O(2) (-) + O((3)P) have been determined in a selected-ion flow tube instrument. O atoms are generated by the quantitative titration of N atoms with NO, where the N atoms are produced by microwave discharge on N(2). The experimental procedure allows for the determination of rate constants for the reaction of the reactant ion with N((4)S(3/2)) and O((3)P). The rate coefficient for O(2) (-) + N is found to be 2.3x10(-10)+/-40% cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), a factor of 2 slower than previously determined. In addition, it was found that the reaction proceeds by two different reaction channels to give (1) NO(2)+e(-) and (2) O(-)+NO. The second channel was not reported in the previous study and accounts for ca. 35% of the reaction. An overall rate coefficient of 3.9 x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was determined for O(2) (-) + O, which is slightly faster than previously reported. Branching ratios for this reaction were determined to be <55%O(3) + e(-) and >45%O(-) + O(2).     

The photodissociation dynamics of NO2 at 308 nm and of NO2 and N2O4 at 226 nm

Velocity-map ion imaging has been applied to the photodissociation of NO(2) via the first absorption band at 308 nm using (2 + 1) resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization detection of the atomic O((3)P(J)) products. The resulting ion images have been analyzed to provide information about the speed distribution of the O((3)P(J)) products, the translational anisotropy, and the electronic angular momentum alignment. The atomic speed distributions were used to provide information about the internal quantum-state distribution in the NO coproducts. The data were found to be consistent with an inverted NO vibrational quantum-state distribution, and thereby point to a dynamical, as opposed to a statistical dissociation mechanism subsequent to photodissociation at 308 nm. Surprisingly, at this wavelength the O-atom electronic angular momentum alignment was found to be small. Probe-only ion images obtained under a variety of molecular-beam backing-pressure conditions, and corresponding to O atoms generated in the photodissociation of either the monomer, NO(2), or the dimer, N(2)O(4), at 226 nm, are also reported. For the monomer, where 226 nm corresponds to excitation into the second absorption band, the kinetic-energy release distributions are also found to indicate a strong population inversion in the NO cofragment, and are shown to be remarkably similar to those previously observed in the wavelength range of 193-248 nm. Mechanistic implications of this result are discussed. At 226 nm it has also been possible to observe directly O atoms from the photodissociation of the dimer. The O-atom velocity distribution has been analyzed to provide information about its production mechanism.     

Investigating the breakup dynamics of dihydrogen sulfide ions recombining with electrons

This paper presents results concerning measurements of the dissociative recombination (DR) of dihydrogen sulfide ions. In combination with the ion storage ring CRYRING an imaging technique was used to investigate the breakup dynamics of the three-body channel in the DR of 32SD2(+). The two energetically available product channels S(3P) + 2D(2S) and S(1D) + 2D(2S) were both populated, with a branching fraction of the ground-state channel of 0.6(0.1). Information about the angle between the two deuterium atoms upon dissociation was obtained together with information about how the available kinetic energy was distributed between the two light fragments. The recombination cross sections as functions of energy in the interval of 1 meV to 0.3 eV in the center-of-mass frame are presented for 34SH2(+). The thermal rate coefficient for the DR of 34SH2(+) was determined to be (4.8+/-1.0) x 10(-7)(T/300)(-0.72+/-0.1) cm3 s(-1) over this interval.     

Ion imaging study of NO3 radical photodissociation dynamics: characterization of multiple reaction pathways

The photodissociation of NO(3) has been studied using velocity map ion imaging. Measurements of the NO(2) + O channel reveal statistical branching ratios of the O((3)P(J)) fine-structure states, isotropic angular distributions, and low product translational energy consistent with barrierless dissociation along the ground state potential surface. There is clear evidence for two distinct pathways to the formation of NO + O(2) products. The dominant pathway (>70% yield) is characterized by vibrationally excited O(2)((3)Σ(g)(-), v = 5-10) and rotationally cold NO((2)Π), while the second pathway is characterized by O(2)((3)Σ(g)(-), v = 0-4) and rotationally hotter NO((2)Π) fragments. We speculate the first pathway has many similarities to the "roaming" dynamics recently implicated in several systems. The rotational angular momentum of the molecular fragments is positively correlated for this channel, suggesting geometric constraints in the dissociation. The second pathway results in almost exclusive formation of NO((2)Π, v = 0). Although product state correlations support dissociation via an as yet unidentified three-center transition state, theoretical confirmation is needed.     

Time-slice velocity-map ion imaging studies of the photodissociation of NO in the vacuum ultraviolet region

The time-slice velocity-map ion imaging and the resonant four-wave mixing techniques are combined to study the photodissociation of NO in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region around 13.5 eV above the ionization potential. The neutral atoms, i.e., N((2)D(o)), O((3)P(2)), O((3)P(1)), O((3)P(0)), and O((1)D(2)), are probed by exciting an autoionization line of O((1)D(2)) or N((2)D(o)), or an intermediate Rydberg state of O((3)P(0,1,2)). Old and new autoionization lines of O((1)D(2)) and N((2)D(o)) in this region have been measured and newer frequencies are given for them. The photodissociation channels producing N((2)D(o)) + O((3)P), N((2)D(o)) + O((1)D(2)), N((2)D(o)) + O((1)S(0)), and N((2)P(o)) + O((3)P) have all been identified. This is the first time that a single VUV photon has been used to study the photodissociation of NO in this energy region. Our measurements of the angular distributions show that the recoil anisotropy parameters (β) for all the dissociation channels except for the N((2)D(o)) + O((1)S(0)) channel are minus at each of the wavelengths used in the present study. Thus direct excitation of NO by a single VUV photon in this energy region leads to excitation of states with Σ or Δ symmetry (ΔΩ = ±1), explaining the observed perpendicular transition.     

NO+ formation pathways in dissociation of N2O+ ions at the C2Σ+ state revealed from threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence velocity imaging

Using the novel threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging technique, the dissociative photoionization of N(2)O molecule via the C(2)Σ(+) ionic state has been investigated. Four fragment ions, NO(+), N(2)(+), O(+), and N(+), are observed, respectively, and the NO(+) and N(+) ions are always dominant in the whole excitation energy range of the C(2)Σ(+) ionic state. Subsequently, the TPEPICO three-dimensional time-sliced velocity images of NO(+) dissociated from the vibrational state-selected N(2)O(+)(C(2)Σ(+)) ions have been recorded. Thus the kinetic and internal energy distributions of the NO(+) fragments have been obtained directly as the bimodal distributions, suggesting that the NO(+) fragments are formed via both NO(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) + N((2)P) and NO(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) + N((2)D) dissociation channels. Almost the same vibrational population reversions are identified for both dissociation pathways. Interestingly, the obtained branching ratios of the two channels exhibit some dependence on the excited vibrational mode for N(2)O(+)(C(2)Σ(+)), in which the excited asymmetrical stretching potentially promotes dissociation possibility along the NO(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) + N((2)D) pathway. In addition, the measured anisotropic parameters of NO(+) are close to 0.5, indicating that the C(2)Σ(+) state of N(2)O(+) is fully predissociative, indeed, with a tendency of parallel dissociation, and therefore, the corresponding predissociation mechanisms for the N(2)O(+)(C(2)Σ(+)) ions are depicted.     

Concerted and sequential Coulomb explosion processes of N2O in intense laser fields by coincidence momentum imaging

The Coulomb explosion dynamics of N2O in intense laser fields (800 nm, 60 fs, approximately 0.16 PWcm2) is studied by the coincidence momentum imaging method. From the momentum correlation maps obtained for the three-body fragmentation pathway, N2O3+-->N++N++O+, the ultrafast structural deformation dynamics of N2O prior to the Coulomb explosion is extracted. It is revealed that the internuclear N-N and N-O distances stretch simultaneously as the bond angle less than approximately N-N-O decreases. In addition, two curved thin distributions are identified in the momentum correlation maps, and are interpreted well as those originating from the sequential dissociation pathway, N2O3+-->N++NO2+-->N++N++O+.     

A crossed beam study of (18)O((3)P)+NO(2) and (18)O((1)D)+NO(2): Isotope exchange and O(2)+NO formation channels

The products and dynamics of the reactions (18)O((3)P)+NO(2) and (18)O((1)D)+NO(2) have been investigated using crossed beams and provide new constraints on the structures and lifetimes of the reactive nitrogen trioxide intermediates formed in collisions of O((3)P) and O((1)D) with NO(2). For each reaction, two product channels are observed - isotope exchange and O(2)+NO formation. From the measured product signal intensities at collision energies of ～6 to 9.5 kcal∕mol, the branching ratio for O(2)+NO formation vs. isotope exchange for the O((3)P)+NO(2) reaction is 52(+6∕-2)% to 48(+2∕-6)%, while that for O((1)D)+NO(2) is 97(+2∕-12)% to 3(+12∕-2)%. The branching ratio for the O((3)P)+NO(2) reaction derived here is similar to the ratio measured in previous kinetics studies, while this is the first study in which the products of the O((1)D)+NO(2) reaction have been determined experimentally. Product energy and angular distributions are derived for the O((3)P)+NO(2) isotope exchange and the O((1)D)+NO(2)→O(2)+NO reactions. The results demonstrate that the O((3)P)+NO(2) isotope exchange reaction proceeds by an NO(3)? complex that is long-lived with respect to its rotational period and suggest that statistical incorporation of the reactant (18)O into the product NO(2) (apart from zero point energy isotope effects) likely occurs. In contrast, the (18)O((1)D)+NO(2)→O(2)+NO reaction proceeds by a direct "stripping" mechanism via a short-lived (18)O-O-NO? complex that results in the occurrence of (18)O in the product O(2) but not in the product NO. Similarly, (18)O is detected in O(2) but not NO for the O((3)P)+NO(2)→O(2)+NO reaction. Thus, even though the product energy and angular distributions for O((3)P)+NO(2)→O(2)+NO derived from the experimental data are uncertain, these results for isotope labeling under single collision conditions support previous kinetics studies that concluded that this reaction proceeds by an asymmetric (18)O-O-NO? intermediate and not by a long-lived symmetric NO(3)? complex, as earlier bulk isotope labeling experiments had concluded. Applicability of these results to atmospheric chemistry is also discussed.     

Quantum yields for product formation in the 120-133 nm photodissociation of O2

The photodissociation of O(2) in the region from 120-133 nm has been investigated using product imaging. The spectrum in this region is dominated by transitions from the ground state to the first three vibrational levels of the E (3)Sigma(u) (-) state. The O((1)D)+O((3)P) channel is the only product channel observed by product imaging for dissociation at either 124.4 nm or 120.4 nm. The O((1)D(2)) product is aligned in the molecular frame in such a way that its J vector is perpendicular to the relative velocity vector between the O((1)D) and the O((3)P). The variation in the anisotropy of dissociation is approximately predicted by considering transitions on individual lines and then taking into account the coherent excitation of overlapping resonances. At 132.7 nm, both the O((1)D)+O((3)P) and the O((3)P)+O((3)P) channels are observed with branching ratios of 0.40+/-0.08 and 0.60+/-0.09, respectively. At 130.2 nm, the quantum yield for production of O((1)D) is 0.76+/-0.28.     

Dissociative photoionization of N(2)O in the region of the N(2)O(+)(B (2)Pi) state studied by ion-electron velocity vector correlation

Dissociative direct photoionization of the N2O(X 1Sigma+) linear molecule via the N2O+(B 2Pi) ionic state induced by linearly polarized synchrotron radiation P in the 18-22 eV photon energy range is investigated using the (VA+,Ve,P) vector correlation method, where VA+ is the nascent velocity vector of the NO+, N2+, or O+ ionic fragment and Ve that of the photoelectron. The DPI processes are identified by the ion-electron kinetic energy correlation, and the IchiA+(thetae,phie) molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs) are reported for the dominant reaction leading to NO+ (X 1Sigma+,v) + N(2D)+ e. The measured MFPADs are found in satisfactory agreement with the reported multichannel Schwinger configuration interaction calculations, when bending of the N2O+(B 2Pi) molecular ion prior to dissociation is taken into account. A significant evolution of the electron scattering anisotropies is observed, in particular in the azimuthal dependence of the MFPADs, characteristic of a photoionization transition between a neutral state of Sigma symmetry and an ionic state of Pi symmetry. This interpretation is supported by a simple model describing the photoionization transition by the coherent superposition of two ssigma and ddelta partial waves and the associated Coulomb phases.     

Transition state dynamics of N2O4 <==> 2NO2 in liquid state

Transition state dynamics of dissociation and association reactions N2O4 <==> 2NO2 in liquid state are studied by classical molecular dynamics simulations of reactive liquid NO(2) at 298 K. An OSPP+LJ potential between NO(2) molecules proposed in paper I [J. Chem. Phys. 115, 10852 (2001)], which takes into account the orientational sensitivity of the chemical bond, has been used in the simulation. The trajectory and energy evolution of various reactions are studied in the OSPP+LJ liquid, which reproduces both the observed liquid phase equilibrium constant and Raman band shape of the dissociation mode. It is found that a NO(2) pair in reactive liquid NO(2) is bound when E(T)<0 and dissociates when E(T)>0, and the dissociation of a reactant pair occurs when the transition state (TS) surface of E(T)=0 is crossed from negative to positive, where E(T) is the sum of the potential and kinetic energies of intermolecular motion of the pair. Two types of dissociation are found depending on the source of energy for dissociation; the first type D is the dissociation via collisional activation of the reactive mode by solvent molecules, and the second type T is the dissociation via bond transfer from a dimer to a monomer NO(2) through the TS of NO(2) trimer. It is concluded that the type T dissociation is found to be much more probable than the type D dissociation because of easy energy conservation. The reactant experiences the TS of NO(2) trimer for a long time (1-10 ps) in NO(2) mediated bond transfer reactions, and crossing and recrossing trajectories and dynamics in the TS neighborhood are studied.     

Two- and three-body photodissociation dynamics of diiodobromide (I2Br-) anion

The photodissociation of gas-phase I(2)Br(-) was investigated using fast beam photofragment translational spectroscopy. Anions were photodissociated from 300 to 270 nm (4.13-4.59 eV) and the recoiling photofragments were detected in coincidence by a time- and position-sensitive detector. Both two- and three-body channels were observed throughout the energy range probed. Analysis of the two-body dissociation showed evidence for four distinct channels: Br(-) + I(2), I(-) + IBr, Br+I(2) (-), and I + IBr(-). In three-body dissociation, Br((2)P(3∕2)) + I((2)P(3∕2)) + I(-) and Br(-) + I((2)P(3∕2)) + I((2)P(3∕2)) were produced primarily from a concerted decay mechanism. A sequential decay mechanism was also observed and attributed to Br(-)((1)S)+I(2)(B(3)Π(0u) (+)) followed by predissociation of I(2)(B).     

Direct ab initio molecular dynamics study on a microsolvated SN2 reaction of OH-(H2O) with CH3Cl

Reaction dynamics for a microsolvated SN2 reaction OH-(H2O)+CH3Cl have been investigated by means of the direct ab initio molecular dynamics method. The relative center-of-mass collision energies were chosen as 10, 15, and 25 kcal/mol. Three reaction channels were found as products. These are (1) a channel leading to complete dissociation (the products are CH3OH+Cl- +H2O: denoted by channel I), (2) a solvation channel (the products are Cl-(H2O)+CH3OH: channel II), and (3) a complex formation channel (the products are CH3OH...H2O+Cl-: channel III). The branching ratios for the three channels were drastically changed as a function of center-of-mass collision energy. The ratio of complete dissociation channel (channel I) increased with increasing collision energy, whereas that of channel III decreased. The solvation channel (channel II) was minor at all collision energies. The selectivity of the reaction channels and the mechanism are discussed on the basis of the theoretical results.     

二氧化三氮(N3O2)中性分子和离子的一些重要反应过程的理论研究

二重态的N3O2中性分子作为中间体, 在N3O2阴离子的光解离反应和NO+N2O←→N2+NO2反应中均起重要作用. 在CCSD(T)/6-311G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)+ZPE的水平上, 对这两个反应进行了理论计算. 结果表明, 在N3O2阴离子的光解离反应中, 该阴离子先在光照下解离为与其具有相同的W构型的中性分子和一个电子, 这个中性分子是一个过渡态, 它将打破C2v构型变成具有Cs对称性的W型中间异构体, 然后再经过一个过渡态, 裂解成N2O+NO两个小分子. 这个裂解过程的能垒非常低(5.96 kJ/mol), 因此在实验中很难检测到W型的中间异构体. 在另一个重要的[N3O2]体系的反应(NO+N2O←→N2+NO2)中, 找到了两条反应通道, 其中不经过中间异构体的一步转化通道更为可行.     

Kinetics of O2(a1Deltag) and I(2P1/2) in the photochemistry of N2O/I2 mixtures

The recent demonstration of a discharge-driven oxygen-iodine laser has generated renewed interest in the kinetics of iodine interacting with electronically excited O2 and atomic O. Kinetic measurements that are of relevance to the laser have been carried out using 193 nm pulsed laser photolysis of N2O/I2/CO2 mixtures. Singlet oxygen was generated in this system by the reaction O(1D)+N2O-->O2(a1Deltag, X3Sigma-g)+N2. The fraction of electronically excited O2 produced by this channel was shown to be >0.9. The secondary photochemistry of the N2O/I2/CO2 system was characterized by monitoring the time histories of I(2P1/2), I2, IO, and O2(a). Kinetic modeling of these data was used to determine the rate constant for the deactivation of I(2P1/2) by O(3P) (k=(1.2+/-0.1)x10(-11) cm3 s(-1)). Quenching of I(2P1/2) by O(3P) is suppressed in the discharge-driven laser by using NO2 to scavenge the O atoms. The reaction O(3P)+NO2-->O2+NO is sufficiently exothermic for the production of O2(a), and it has been speculated that this channel may be significant in the laser excitation kinetics. Photolysis of NO2 was used to probe this reaction. O2(a) was not detected, and an upper bound of <0.1 for its production in the reaction of O(3P) or O(1D) with NO2 was established.     

Channel switching effect in photodissociating N2O+ ion at 312.5 nm

A experimental observation is presented on the N2O+ photodissociation process, which exhibits a complete channel switching effect in a narrow energy range. The N2O+ ions, prepared at the X2Pi (000) state by (3+1) multiphoton ionization of neutral N2O molecules at 360.6 nm, were excited to different vibrational levels in the A2Sigma+ state in a wavelength range of 275-328 nm. Based on the estimates of total released kinetic energies from the time-of-flight mass spectrum, it was found that the dissociation pathway of N2O+ (A2Sigma+), NO+ (X1Sigma+) + N(4S) with lower dissociation limit, changes abruptly and completely to NO+ (X1Sigma+) + N(2D) with higher dissociation limit, in a excitation energy range of merely 250 cm(-1) at lambda approximately 312.5 nm. This phenomenon was explained by competition between the two dissociation pathways across the special excitation energy region.     

Theoretical Study of NO Dimer Adsorption and Dissociation on the CuCr2O4 （100） Surface

Theoretical simulation of the adsorption and dissociation of two NO molecules at the Cu^2＋, Cr^3＋ and bridge Cr^3＋ sites （b-Cr^3＋） on the normal spinel CuCr2O4 （100） surface has been carried out by density functional theory calculations. The results show that the formed N-down and O-down NO dimers are negatively charged. The formation of stable O-down dimers on the surface leads to the great elongation of N-O bond, which contributes to the NO reduction. The transition-state calculations indicate that the decomposition of O-down NO dimer at the b-Cr^3＋ site is most favorable and N2O is the major reduction product.     

Electron impact fragmentation of size-selected krypton clusters

Clusters of krypton are generated in a supersonic expansion and size selected by deflection from a helium target beam. By measuring angular distributions for different fragment masses and time-of-flight distributions for fixed deflection angles and fragment masses, the complete fragmentation patterns for electron impact ionization at 70 eV are obtained from the dimer to the heptamer. For each of the neutral Kr(n) clusters studied, the main fragment is the monomer Kr(+) ion with a probability f(n)(1) > 90%. The probability of observing dimer Kr(2)(+) ions is much smaller than expected for each initial cluster size. The trimer ion Kr(3)(+) appears first from the neutral Kr(5), and its fraction increases with increasing neutral cluster size n, but is always much smaller than that of the monomer or dimer. For neutral Kr(7), all possible ion fragments are observed, but the monomer still represents 90% of the overall probability and fragments with n > 3 contribute less than 1% of the total. Aspects of the Kr(n) cluster ionization process and the experimental measurements are discussed to provide possible reasons for the surprisingly high probability of observing fragmentation to the Kr(+) monomer ion.     

Nonadiabatic transition in the dissociation process from inner valence states of O(2) (+)

In a previous paper we reported a study of the electronic structures of inner valence states of O(2) (+) and the dissociation process, where there remained some questions as to the origins of the dissociation fragment formation of the O+((2)D)+O((3)P) limit in observed spectra. In this paper, we present the results of calculations of the nonadiabatic transition probabilities of the multichannel dissociation process from the inner valence states of O(2) (+) and reproduce the general features of observed spectra previously reported, including fragment formation, using the Zhu-Nakamura theory.