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Albertini S, Gruber E, Zappa F, Krasnokutski S, Laimer F, Scheier P. Chemistry and physics of dopants embedded in helium droplets. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2022; 41:529-567. [PMID: 33993543 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Helium droplets represent a cold inert matrix, free of walls with outstanding properties to grow complexes and clusters at conditions that are perfect to simulate cold and dense regions of the interstellar medium. At sub-Kelvin temperatures, barrierless reactions triggered by radicals or ions have been observed and studied by optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The present review summarizes developments of experimental techniques and methods and recent results they enabled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Albertini
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Gruber
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Fabio Zappa
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Serge Krasnokutski
- Laboratory Astrophysics Group of the MPI for Astronomy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Felix Laimer
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Paul Scheier
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Tiefenthaler L, Ameixa J, Martini P, Albertini S, Ballauf L, Zankl M, Goulart M, Laimer F, von Haeften K, Zappa F, Scheier P. An intense source for cold cluster ions of a specific composition. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2020; 91:033315. [PMID: 32260000 DOI: 10.1063/1.5133112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The demand for nanoscale materials of ultra-high purity and narrow size distribution is addressed. Clusters of Au, C60, H2O, and serine are produced inside helium nanodroplets using a combination of ionization, mass filtering, collisions with atomic or molecular vapor, and electrostatic extraction, in a specific and novel sequence. The helium droplets are produced in an expansion of cold helium gas through a nozzle into vacuum. The droplets are ionized by electron bombardment and subjected to a mass filter. The ionic and mass-selected helium droplets are then guided through a vacuum chamber filled with atomic or molecular vapor where they collide and "pick up" the vapor. The dopants then agglomerate inside the helium droplets around charge centers to singly charged clusters. Evaporation of the helium droplets is induced by collisions in a helium-filled radio frequency (RF)-hexapole, which liberates the cluster ions from the host droplets. The clusters are analyzed with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It is demonstrated that using this sequence, the size distribution of the dopant cluster ions is distinctly narrower compared to ionization after pickup. Likewise, the ion cluster beam is more intense. The mass spectra show, as well, that ion clusters of the dopants can be produced with only few helium atoms attached, which will be important for messenger spectroscopy. All these findings are important for the scientific research of clusters and nanoscale materials in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Tiefenthaler
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - J Ameixa
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - P Martini
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - S Albertini
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - L Ballauf
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Zankl
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Goulart
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - F Laimer
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - K von Haeften
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - F Zappa
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - P Scheier
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Tiefenthaler L, Kollotzek S, Ellis AM, Scheier P, Echt O. Proton transfer at subkelvin temperatures. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:28165-28172. [PMID: 33290453 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05174h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate a novel method to ionize molecules or molecular clusters by proton transfer at temperatures below 1 K. The method yields nascent ions and largely eliminates secondary reactions, even for notoriously 'delicate' molecules. Protonation is achieved inside liquid helium nanodroplets (HNDs) and begins with the formation of (H2)mH+ ions as the proton donors. In a separate and subsequent step the HNDs are doped with a proton acceptor molecule, X. Proton transfer occurs between X and the cold proton donor ions inside a helium droplet, an approach that avoids the large excess energy that is released if HNDs are first doped and then ionized. Mass spectra, recorded after stripping excess helium and hydrogen in a collision cell, show that this method offers a new way to determine proton affinities of molecules and clusters by proton-transfer bracketing, to investigate astrochemically relevant ion-molecule reactions at sub-kelvin temperatures, and to prepare XH+ ions that are suitable for messenger-tagging action spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Tiefenthaler
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Khreis JM, Reitshammer J, Vizcaino V, Klawitter K, Feketeová L, Denifl S. High-energy collision-induced dissociation of histidine ions [His + H] + and [His - H] - and histidine dimer [His 2 + H] . RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:113-120. [PMID: 29108138 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Histidine (His) is an essential amino acid, whose side group consists of an aromatic imidazole moiety that can bind a proton or metal cation and act as a donor in intermolecular interactions in many biological processes. While the dissociation of His monomer ions is well known, information on the kinetic energy released in the dissociation is missing. METHODS Using a new home-built electrospray ionization (ESI) source adapted to a double-focusing mass spectrometer of BE geometry, we investigated the fragmentation reactions of protonated and deprotonated His, [His + H]+ and [His - H]- , and the protonated His dimer [His2 + H]+ , accelerated to 6 keV in a high-energy collision with helium gas. We evaluated the kinetic energy release (KER) for the observed dissociation channels. RESULTS ESI of His solution in positive mode led to the formation of His clusters [Hisn + H]+ , n = 1-6, with notably enhanced stability of the tetramer. [His + H]+ dissociates predominantly by loss of (H2 O + CO) with a KER of 278 meV, while the dominant dissociation channel of [His - H]- involves loss of NH3 with a high KER of 769 meV. Dissociation of [His2 + H]+ is dominated by loss of the monomer but smaller losses are also observed. CONCLUSIONS The KER for HCOOH loss from both [His + H]+ and [His - H]- is similar at 278 and 249 meV, respectively, which suggests that the collision-induced dissociation takes place via a similar mechanism. The loss of COOH and C2 H5 NO2 from the dimer suggests that the dimer of His binds through a shared proton between the imidazole moieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jusuf M Khreis
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Julia Reitshammer
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Kevin Klawitter
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Linda Feketeová
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS/IN2P3, UMR5822, Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Stephan Denifl
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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Feketeová L, Khairallah GN, O'Hair RAJ, Nielsen SB. Gas-phase fragmentation of deprotonated tryptophan and its clusters [Trpn -H]- induced by different activation methods. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2015; 29:1395-1402. [PMID: 26147479 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Non-covalent amino acid clusters are the subject of intense research in diverse areas including peptide bond formation studies or the determination of proton affinities or methylating abilities of amino acids. However, most of the research has focused on positive ions and little is known about anionic clusters. METHODS Fragmentation reactions of deprotonated tryptophan (Trp), [Trp-H](-) and Trp singly deprotonated non-covalently bound clusters [Trp(n) -H](-), n = 2, 3, 4, were investigated using low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) with He atoms, high-energy CID with Na atoms, and electron-induced dissociation (EID) with 20-35 eV electrons. Fragmentation of the monomeric Trp anion, where all labile hydrogens were exchanged for deuterium [d(4) -Trp-D](-), was investigated using low-energy CID and EID, in order to shed light on the dissociation mechanisms. RESULTS The main fragmentation channel for Trp cluster anions, [Trp(n) -H](-), n >1, is the loss of the neutral monomer. The fragmentation of the deprotonated Trp monomer induced by electrons resembles the fragmentation induced by high-energy collisions through electronic excitation of the parent. However, the excitation must precede in a different way, shown through only monomer loss from larger clusters, n >1, in case of EID, but intracluster chemistry in the case of high-energy CID. CONCLUSIONS The anion of the indole ring C(8)H(6) N(-) has been identified in the product ion spectra of [Trp(n) -H](-) using all activation methods, thus providing a diagnostic marker ion. No evidence was found for formation of peptide bonds as a route to prebiotic peptides in the fragmentation reactions of these singly deprotonated Trp cluster ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Feketeová
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry and Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
- Université de Lyon, 69003 Lyon, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon1; Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, CNRS/IN2P3, UMR5822, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - George N Khairallah
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry and Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Richard A J O'Hair
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry and Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Steen Brøndsted Nielsen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
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Postler J, Vizcaino V, Denifl S, Zappa F, Ralser S, Daxner M, Illenberger E, Scheier P. Electron attachment to CO2 embedded in superfluid He droplets. J Phys Chem A 2014; 118:6553-9. [PMID: 24818738 PMCID: PMC4141896 DOI: 10.1021/jp503179d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Electron attachment to CO2 embedded in superfluid He
droplets leads to ionic complexes of the form (CO2)n– and (CO2)nO– and, at much lower intensities,
He containing ions of the form Hem(CO2)nO–. At low
energies (<5 eV), predominantly the non-decomposed complexes (CO2)n– are formed
via two resonance contributions, similar to electron attachment to
pristine CO2 clusters. The significantly different shapes
and relative resonance positions, however, indicate particular quenching
and mediation processes in CO2@He. A series of further
resonances in the energy range up to 67 eV can be assigned to electronic
excitation of He and capture of the inelastically scattered electron
generating (CO2)n– and two additional processes where an intermediately formed He*
leads to the nonstoichiometric anions (CO2)nO–.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Postler
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck , Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Puschnigg B, Huber SE, Probst M, Tanzer K, Vizcaino V, Ferreira da Silva F, Scheier P, Limão-Vieira P, Denifl S. Electron attachment to the dipeptide dialanine: influence of methylation on site selective dissociation reactions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2013; 15:3834-40. [DOI: 10.1039/c3cp44230f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Alizadeh E, Gschliesser D, Bartl P, Hager M, Edtbauer A, Vizcaino V, Mauracher A, Probst M, Märk TD, Ptasińska S, Mason NJ, Denifl S, Scheier P. Bond dissociation of the dipeptide dialanine and its derivative alanine anhydride induced by low energy electrons. J Chem Phys 2011; 134:054305. [PMID: 21303118 DOI: 10.1063/1.3544217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissociative electron attachment to dialanine and alanine anhydride has been studied in the gas phase utilizing a double focusing two sector field mass spectrometer. We show that low-energy electrons (i.e., electrons with kinetic energies from near zero up to 13 eV) attach to these molecules and subsequently dissociate to form a number of anionic fragments. Anion efficiency curves are recorded for the most abundant anions by measuring the ion yield as a function of the incident electron energy. The present experiments show that as for single amino acids (M), e.g., glycine, alanine, valine, and proline, the dehydrogenated closed shell anion (M-H)(-) is the most dominant reaction product. The interpretation of the experiments is aided by quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory, by which the electrostatic potential and molecular orbitals are calculated and the initial electron attachment process prior to dissociation is investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Alizadeh
- Institut für Ionenphysik and Angewandte Physik, and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Feketeová L, Khairallah GN, Brunet C, Lemoine J, Antoine R, Dugourd P, O'Hair RAJ. Fragmentation of the tryptophan cluster [Trp9-2H]2- induced by different activation methods. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2010; 24:3255-3260. [PMID: 20972999 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.4763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Electrospray ionization (ESI) of tryptophan gives rise to multiply charged, non-covalent tryptophan cluster anions, [Trp(n)-xH](x-), in a linear ion trap mass spectrometer, as confirmed by high-resolution experiments performed on a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. The smallest multiply charged clusters that can be formed in the linear ion trap as a function of charge state are: x = 2, n = 7; x = 3, n = 16; x = 4, n = 31. The fragmentation of the dianionic cluster [Trp(9)-2H](2-) was examined via low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID), ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) at 266 nm and electron-induced dissociation (EID) at electron energies ranging from >0 to 30 eV. CID proceeds mostly via charge separation and evaporation of neutral tryptophan. The smallest doubly charged cluster that can be formed via evaporation of neutral tryptophans is [Trp(7)-2H](2-), consistent with the observation of this cluster in the ESI mass spectrum. UVPD gives singly charged tryptophan clusters ranging from n = 2 to n = 9. The latter ion arises from ejection of an electron to give the radical anion cluster, [Trp(9)-2H](-·). The types of gas-phase EID reactions observed are dependent on the energy of the electrons. Loss of neutral tryptophan is an important channel at lower energies, with the smallest doubly charged ion, [Trp(7)-2H](2-), being observed at 19.8 eV. Coulomb explosion starts to occur at 19.8 eV to form the singly charged cluster ions [Trp(x)-H](-) (x = 1-8) via highly asymmetric fission. At 21.8 eV a small amount of [Trp(2)-H-NH(3)](-) is observed. Thus CID, UVPD and EID are complementary techniques for the study of the fragmentation reactions of cluster ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Feketeová
- School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Smolarek S, Brauer NB, Buma WJ, Drabbels M. IR Spectroscopy of Molecular Ions by Nonthermal Ion Ejection from Helium Nanodroplets. J Am Chem Soc 2010; 132:14086-91. [DOI: 10.1021/ja1034655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Smolarek
- University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Laboratoire de Chimie Physique Moléculaire, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nils B. Brauer
- University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Laboratoire de Chimie Physique Moléculaire, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wybren J. Buma
- University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Laboratoire de Chimie Physique Moléculaire, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Drabbels
- University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Laboratoire de Chimie Physique Moléculaire, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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