Electron-Stimulated Desorption of H- Ions via Dissociative Electron Attachment in Condensed Methanol

Direct Observation of Anionic Yields from the Liquid-Vapor Interface by Electron Irradiation

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) is widely believed to play a high-profile role in ionizing radiation damages of bioorganic molecules, and its fundamentals are mainly learned from the gas-phase studies. However, the DEA process in aqueous solution is still in debate. Here we provide experimental evidence about the DEA processes of liquid methanol by using electron-impact-time-delayed mass spectrometry. In contrast to the gas- and solid-phase DEAs, methoxide ion CH3O- is the predominant product from the liquid interface. Furthermore, this anion can be produced with both the primary low-energy electrons and the inelastically scattered and secondary low-energy electrons. On the contrary, the primary low-energy electrons in the liquid bulk are more likely to be solvated, rather than directly participating in the DEA process. Our study provides new insights into radiation chemistry, particularly of bioorganic relevance.

Electron stimulated desorption from condensed benzene

The electron induced dissociation of condensed benzene (C6H6) in thin films deposited on a Pt substrate is investigated by electron stimulated desorption (ESD) of anions and cations. The desorbed yields are recorded as a function of incident electron energy in the range of 10 to 950 eV for a fixed film thickness of 2 monolayers (ML) and for a fixed energy of 950 eV, as well as a function of film thickness from 0.5 to 8 monolayers (ML) for anions, and from 0.5 to 12ML for cations. Both energy and thickness dependencies are discussed in terms of the three main mechanisms yielding positively and/or negatively charged fragments: dissociative electron attachment (DEA), dipolar dissociation (DD) and dissociative ionization (DI) processes. At the probed energies, DD is the major mechanism, while DEA is predominantly induced by secondary electrons from the Pt substrate. Desorption of the parent positive ion is strongly suppressed. Similar qualitative behaviours are observed for the energy dependence of both anion and cation ESD yields, while some discrepancies exist in the thickness dependence, including a very significant systematic magnitude difference found between such ions formation. An estimation of the effective DD cross-section including the desorption probability is obtained. Feasible mechanisms behind the observed energy and thickness dependences for anion and cation yields are proposed. These results highlight the need for further investigations to better understand the underlying processes of electron induced dissociation in condensed matter.

Electron stimulated desorption from condensed pyrimidine and pyridazine

Low energy electron (LEE) interactions and the formation of transient negative ions play a dominant role in radiation-induced dissociation of condensed-phase biomolecules (e.g. in radiotherapy). Here we present data on the LEE-induced dissociation and desorption of the DNA/RNA-base and radiosensitizing agent analogues pyrimidine and pyridazine. Vapors of each molecule were condensed on either a Pt or Ar substrate to form a multilayer film or a submonolayer molecular target, respectively. These were irradiated with electrons of 0-80 eV and the desorbing anionic and cationic fragments analysed via time of flight mass spectrometry. The detected cations are the same species seen in gas-phase mass spectra, albeit of differing relative intensity. Anion yield functions exhibit strong maxima, indicating that transient negative ions contribute significantly, via dissociative electron attachment (DEA), to molecular dissociation below 20 eV. For both molecules, the <5 eV shape resonances, seen experimentally and predicted by theory, do not result in fragment desorption. The main anionic fragments are H^- and CN^- for both molecules, additionally the fragments C^-, CH^- C₂H^- and CHN^- desorb from pyrimidine and C^- and C₂H^- from pyridazine, with some resonances lying above the ionization limit. Pyrimidine shows higher anion desorption yields than pyridazine for all species except H^-. The anion signal also comprises dipolar dissociation (DD), investigated in both anionic and cationic yield functions. From analysis of anion and cation yields, fragmentation pathways are suggested. The direct ionization pathway provides information on the appearance energies for cations and their production processes in condensed phase.

Bond and site selectivity in dissociative electron attachment to gas phase and condensed phase ethanol and trifluoroethanol

The formation of negative ions following electron impact to ethanol (CH(3)CH(2)OH) and trifluoroethanol (CF(3)CH(2)OH) is studied in the gas phase by means of a crossed electron-molecular beam experiment and in the condensed phase via Electron Stimulated Desorption (ESD) of fragment ions from the corresponding molecular films under UHV conditions. Gas phase ethanol exhibits two pronounced resonances, located at 5.5 eV and 8.2 eV, associated with a remarkable selectivity in the decomposition of the precursor ion. While the low energy resonance exclusively decomposes into O(-), that at higher energy generates OH(-) and a comparatively small signal of [CH(3)CH(2)O](-) due to the loss of a neutral hydrogen. CF(3)CH(2)OH shows a completely different behaviour, as now an intense feature at 1.7 eV appears associated with the loss of a neutral hydrogen atom exclusively occurring at the O site. The H(-) formation from the gas phase compounds is below the detection limit of the present experiment, while in ESD from 3 MonoLayer (ML) films of CH(3)CH(2)OH and CF(3)CH(2)OH the most intense fragment is H(-), appearing from a broad resonant feature between 7 and 12 eV. With CF(3)CH(2)OH, by using the isotopically-labelled analogues CF(3)CD(2)OH and CF(3)CH(2)OD it can be shown that this feature consists of two resonances, one located at 8 eV leading to H(-)/D(-) loss from the O site and a second resonance located at 10 eV leading to the loss of H(-)/D(-) from the CH(2) site.

Features and Mechanism of H- Anion Emission from 12CaO·7Al2O3 Surface

The hydrogen anion (H-) and other anionic species (O-, OH-, e-) in the gas phase, emitted from the synthesized crystal surface of 12 CaO x 7 Al2O3-H- (C12A7-H-), have been observed. The emission intensity of all the anionic species strongly depends on the sample surface temperature and the extraction field. H- has the highest emission branch ratio, and the extraction field can reduce its apparent activation energy. H- emission current at a microA/cm2-level has been achieved, which is about 4 orders of magnitude higher than that obtained from the thermal desorption process of CaH2. The observed anions of H- and OH- are attributed to their migration from the C12A7-H- cages onto the surface [i.e., Y-(cages) --> Y-(surface) --> Y-(gas phase) (Y = H, OH)]. The weak O- and electron emission would both arise from the dissociation of O2-: O2-(surface) --> O-(surface) + e-(surface) --> O-(gas phase) + e-(space).