Chemistry Induced by Core Electron Excitation

Core Shell Investigation of 2-nitroimidazole

Tunability and selectivity of synchrotron radiation have been used to study the excitation and ionization of 2-nitroimidazole at the C, N, and O K-edges. The combination of a set of different measurements (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge photoabsorption spectroscopy, Resonant Auger electron spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry) and computational modeling have successfully disclosed local effects due to the chemical environment on both excitation/ionization and fragmentation of the molecule.

Photofragmentation of the K-shell excited perfluorocyclobutane: anisotropies in the fragments and breakdown pathways

Total ion yield spectrum of perfluorocyclobutane (c-C(4)F(8)) has been measured in the C and F K-shell excitation regions. The peak assignments are presented based on angle-resolved photofragment ion mass spectrometry. The peaks at 291.34 and 688.5 eV are found to come from the transitions from the C 1s and the F 1s to the lowest unoccupied b(2)σ(CF)* orbital, respectively. A photoelectron-photoion-photoion coincidence spectrum is acquired at 700.1 eV for clarifying the breakdown pathways of c-C(4)F(8)(2+). Two series of the pathways are identified; fission of F atom(s) followed by charge separation and elimination of CF(2) or CF(3) followed by charge separation.

Site-selected Auger electron spectroscopy of N2O

The N 1s Auger spectra for the two nonequivalent N atoms in N2O have been measured via Auger electron-photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy. The site-selected Auger spectra are compared with the normal Auger spectrum and with accurate theoretical calculations accounting for the effects of the dynamics of the nuclei on the energy and linewidth of the Auger bands. Such effects are found to be crucial factors in determining the different band shapes in the site-selected spectra.

Theoretical study of ion desorption from poly-(methyl methacrylate) and poly-(isopropenyl acetate) thin films through core excitation

Site-specific chemical reactions following core excitation of poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly-(isopropenyl acetate) (PiPAc) thin films were investigated. New x-ray absorption spectra of PMMA and PiPAc at the C and O K edges and theoretical spectra within the framework of density functional theory using model molecules were reported, and some new peak assignments were proposed for these spectra. Core-hole excited state molecular dynamics simulations were performed to discuss dissociation dynamics for the target systems, and some specific reaction mechanisms were discussed and explained theoretically; for example, the amount of CH3 ion fragments for PMMA was enhanced at the C and O K edges through the existence of the repulsive sigma*(O-CH3) excited state.

Functional dependence of core-excitation energies

We examine in depth the functional dependence of computed core-electron binding and excitation energies based on a total-energy difference approach within Kohn-Sham density functional theory. Twenty-seven functional combinations were studied using a database of reliable experimental data on 18 molecules. The computed core-electron binding energies are largely dependent on the choice of exchange functional. The term value of the first resonant excited state and energy differences between the lowest core-excited states are, however, quite insensitive to the choice of functionals since the errors due to the core-region cancel out. Using these results we define a different exchange functional, which mixes two functionals designed by Perdew and Wang (PD86 and PD91), with the best results for both excitation and binding energies obtained for a mixing ratio 60:40 between these. We also reexamine the relativistic corrections for inner-shell excitations.

Mechanism of anion formation in C 1s→π*-excited carbon dioxide

The mechanism of anion formation from core-excited carbon dioxide is investigated in the C 1s-excitation regime (280-340 eV), where negative-ion-positive-ion coincidences and negative-ion-positive-ion-positive-ion coincidences experiments are performed. O(-) formation occurs efficiently upon C 1s-->pi(*)-excitation (290.7 eV) from the singly charged cation CO(2) (+). This anion is measured in coincidence with the singly charged atoms C(+) and O(+). The formation of atomic cations is accompanied by a substantial kinetic energy release. This suggests that an intermediate CO(++) is formed together with O(-), where the dication decays via fission. The results are discussed in terms of an anion formation mechanism from core-excited molecules considering previous experimental results.

Mass spectrometry study of the fragmentation of valence and core-shell (Cl 2p) excited CHCl3 and CDCl3 molecules

The dissociative photoionization of the chloroform and chloroform-d molecules has been studied in the valence region and around the chlorine 2p edge. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry in the coincidence mode-namely, photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO)-was employed. He I lamp and tunable synchrotron radiation were used as light sources. Total and partial ion yields have been recorded as a function of the photon energy. Singly, doubly, and triply ionized species have been observed below (195 eV), on (201 eV), and above (230 eV) the Cl 2p resonances. A definite degree of site-selective fragmentation was observed at the Cl 2p resonance as the relative contributions of several ionic species were seen to go through a maximum at 201 eV. At the same time all stable doubly charged ions were also observed at 198 eV (below the 2p resonances), resulting from direct ionization processes. Isotopic substitution is shown to provide a very efficient means of improving the mass resolution and assignment of unresolved peaks in spectra of CHCl(3), particularly for those fragments differing by a hydrogen atom. It is suggested that ultrafast fragmentation of the system following 2p excitation to a strongly antibonding state contributes to the large amount of Cl(+) observed in the PEPICO spectrum measured at 201 eV. Kinetic energy distributions were determined for the H(+), D(+), and Cl(+) fragments.