Nanosecond multiphoton ionisation of jet-cooled ferrocene

Probing of an adsorbate-specific excited state on an organic insulating surface by two-photon photoemission spectroscopy

In this study, we investigate the photoexcited electronic states of ferrocene (Fc) molecules adsorbed on an organic insulating surface by two-photon photoemission spectroscopy. This insulating layer, composed of a decanethiolate self-assembled monolayer formed on an Au(111) substrate, enables us to probe the electronically excited states localized at the adsorbed Fc molecules. The adsorbate-specific state is resonantly excited by photons at 4.57 eV, which is 0.5 eV smaller than the energy of the first molecular Rydberg state of free Fc in the gas phase. This result indicates that the electrons are bound to both the excited hole formed in the adsorbate and the positive image charge induced in the substrate. The hybridized electronic characteristics of the adsorbate-specific state are responsible for the strong transition selectivity and short lifetime of the excited state.

Multiple Photochemical Reaction Pathways in a Ni(II) Coordination Compound

The gas-phase photofragmentation of the mixed-ligand coordination compound trans-bis(trifluoroacetato)bis(N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine)nickel(II) (Ni(tfa)2(dmen)2) detected via time-of-flight mass spectrometry is reported. In contrast to most gas-phase studies of metal-containing compounds where fragmentation of weak metal-ligand bonds dominates, the data here show that the dmen ligands fragment while still coordinated to nickel. The manner in which these ligands fragment is highly specific, leading to mono- and diimine species that remain coordinated to nickel. Uncoordinated mono- and diimine species and various small dmen fragments are also observed with high intensities in the low mass region of the spectra. NiF+, a fragment that is formed by fluorine abstraction, is always observed, even though no Ni-F bonds exist in the starting material.

Wavelength Dependent Photofragmentation Patterns of Tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)Ln (III) (Ln = Eu, Tb, Gd) in a Molecular Beam

Laser photoionization and ligand photodissociation in Ln(thd)(3) (Ln = Eu, Tb, Gd; thd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato) are studied in a molecular beam via time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The fragmentation patterns are strongly wavelength dependent. With 355 nm excitation, the mass spectrum is dominated by Ln(2+), Ln(+), and LnO(+) fragments. The bare Ln ions are believed to arise from photoionization of neutral Ln atoms. The Ln atoms, in turn, are produced from the Ln(thd)(3) complex in a sequence of Ln reductions (through ligand-to-metal charge-transfer transitions), with each reduction being accompanied by the dissociation of a neutral ligand radical. In contrast, under visible-light (410-450 nm) excitation, a significant Ln(thd)(n)(+) signal is observed (where n = 2,3 for Ln = Tb,Gd and n = 1-3 for Ln = Eu). Thus, with visible excitation, photoionization of Ln(thd)(n) competes effectively with the Ln-reduction/ligand-dissociation sequence that leads to the dominant bare Ln-ion signal seen with 355 nm excitation. The fact that monoligated Ln(thd)(+) is observed only for Ln = Eu is interpreted in terms of the relative accessibility of an excited ligand-to-metal charge-transfer state from the ground electronic state of neutral Ln(thd).