The double photoionization of HCl: An ion–electron coincidence study

Double Photoionization of Nitrosyl Chloride by Synchrotron Radiation in the 24-70 eV Photon Energy Range

The behavior of nitrosyl chloride (ClNO) exposed to ionizing radiation was studied by direct probing valence-shell electrons in temporal coincidence with ions originating from the fragmentation process of the transient ClNO²⁺. Such a molecular dication was produced by double photoionization with synchrotron radiation in the 24-70 eV photon energy range. The experiment has been conducted at the Elettra Synchrotron Facility of Basovizza (Trieste, Italy) using a light beam linearly polarized with the direction of the polarization vector parallel to the ClNO molecular beam axis. ClNO molecules crossing the photon beam at right angles in the scattering region are generated by effusive expansion and randomly oriented. The threshold energy for the double ionization of ClNO (30.1 ± 0.1 eV) and six dissociation channels producing NO⁺/Cl⁺, N⁺/Cl⁺, N⁺/O⁺, O⁺/Cl⁺, ClN⁺/O⁺, NO⁺/Cl²⁺ ion pairs, with their relative abundance and threshold energies, have been measured.

Production and Characterization of Molecular Dications: Experimental and Theoretical Efforts

Molecular dications are doubly charged cations of importance in flames, plasma chemistry and physics and in the chemistry of the upper atmosphere of Planets. Furthermore, they are exotic species able to store a considerable amount of energy at a molecular level. This high energy content of several eV can be easily released as translational energy of the two fragment monocations generated by their Coulomb explosion. For such a reason, they were proposed as a new kind of alternative propellant. The present topic review paper reports on an overview of the main contributions made by the authors’ research groups in the generation and characterization of simple molecular dications during the last 40 years of coupling experimental and theoretical efforts.

Angular Distribution of Ion Products in the Double Photoionization of Propylene Oxide

A photoelectron-photoion-photoion coincidence technique, using an ion imaging detector and tunable synchrotron radiation in the 18.0–37.0 eV photon energy range, inducing the ejection of molecular valence electrons, has been applied to study the double ionization of the propylene oxide, a simple prototype chiral molecule. The experiment performed at the Elettra Synchrotron Facility (Trieste, Italy) allowed to determine angular distributions for ions produced by the two-body dissociation reactions following the Coulomb explosion of the intermediate (C₃H₆O)²⁺ molecular dication. The analysis of the coincidence spectra recorded at different photon energies was done in order to determine the dependence of the β anisotropy parameter on the photon energy for the investigated two-body fragmentation channels. In particular, the reaction leading to CH3+ + C₂H₃O⁺ appears to be characterized by an increase of β, from β ≈ 0.00 up to β = 0.59, as the photon energy increases from 29.7 to 37.0 eV, respectively. This new observation confirms that the dissociation channel producing CH3+ and C₂H₃O⁺ final ions can occur with two different microscopic mechanisms as already indicated by the bimodality obtained in the kinetic energy released (KER) distributions as a function of the photon energy in a recent study. Energetic considerations suggest that experimental data are compatible with the formation of two different stable isomers of C₂H₃O⁺: acetyl and oxiranyl cations. These new experimental data are inherently relevant and are mandatory information for further experimental and theoretical investigations involving oriented chiral molecules and linearly or circularly polarized radiation. This work is in progress in our laboratory.

Double photoionization of propylene oxide: A coincidence study of the ejection of a pair of valence-shell electrons

Propylene oxide, a favorite target of experimental and theoretical studies of circular dichroism, was recently discovered in interstellar space, further amplifying the attention to its role in the current debate on protobiological homochirality. In the present work, a photoelectron-photoion-photoion coincidence technique, using an ion-imaging detector and tunable synchrotron radiation in the 18.0-37.0 eV energy range, permits us (i) to observe six double ionization fragmentation channels, their relative yields being accounted for about two-thirds by the couple (C₂H₄⁺, CH₂O⁺) and one-fifth by (C₂H₃⁺, CH₃O⁺); (ii) to measure thresholds for their openings as a function of photon energy; and (iii) to unravel a pronounced bimodality for a kinetic-energy-released distribution, fingerprint of competitive non-adiabatic mechanisms.

The role of charge transfer in the stability and reactivity of chemical systems from experimental findings

Phenomena are described within a unifying picture, by isolating charge/electron transfer as an interaction component triggering chemical reactivity.

Symmetry-adapted-cluster configuration interaction study of the doublet states of HCl+: Potential energy curves, dipole moments, and transition dipole moments

The electronic structure of the HCl(+) molecular ion has been calculated using the general-R symmetry-adapted-cluster configuration interaction (SAC-CI) method. The authors present the potential energy curves, dipole moments, and transition dipole moments for a series of doublet states. The data are compared with the previous CASSCF and MCSCF calculations. The SAC-CI results reproduce quite well the data available in literature and extend the knowledge on the HCl(+) electronic structure for several higher states. The calculated R-dependent behavior of both dipole moments and transition dipole moments for a series of bound and unbound states reveals an intricate dissociation process at intermediate distances (R>R(e)). The pronounced maxima in transition dipole moment (TDM) describing transitions into high electronic states (X (2)Pi-->3 (2)Pi, X (2)Pi-->3 (2)Sigma, 2 (2)Pi-->3 (2)Pi, 3 (2)Pi-->4 (2)Pi) occur at different interatomic separations. Such TDM features are promising for selection of excitation pathways and, consequently, for an optimal control of the dissociation products.

The double photoionization of hydrogen iodide molecules

The double photoionization of HI molecules has been investigated using vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation in the energy range between 27 and 35 eV. The product ions have been detected by the use of time-of-flight mass spectrometry and the threshold energy for HI2+ and H+ + I+ formation has been determined. These results have been interpreted by the use of a theoretical model which has been previously applied by us to HBr2+ and HCl2+. On the basis of the reliability of such a model, an assessment of the systematic trends of the bond features along the HX2+ (X=F, Cl, Br, I) homologous series is given in this paper. In particular, the increase of the stability of these dications, in their lowest electronic states, when going towards the heavier molecules, has been rationalized considering the systematic variation of the charge transfer coupling between the H-X2+ and the H+-X+ states.

Theoretical Studies on Dications and Trications of FH, ClH, and BrH. Properties of the Bound 15Σ- States. Electron-Spin g-Factors and Fine/Hyperfine Constants of the Metastable X3Σ- States of ClH2+ and BrH2+

This theoretical study reports calculations on the fine and hyperfine structure parameters of the metastable X(3)Sigma(-)(sigma(2)pi(2)) state of ClH(2+) and BrH(2+). Data on the repulsive FH(2+) system are also included for comparison purposes. The hyperfine structure (hfs) coupling constants for magnetic (A(iso), A(dip)) and quadrupole (eQq) interactions are evaluated using B3LYP, MP4SDQ, CCSD, and QCISD methods and several basis sets. The fine structure (fs) constants (zero-field splitting lambda and spin-rotation coupling gamma) and electron-spin magnetic moments (g-factor) are evaluated in 2nd-order perturbation theory using multireference CI (MRCI) wave functions. Our calculations find for (35)Cl of ClH(2+) A(iso)/A(dip) = 110/-86 MHz; eQq(0) = -59 MHz; 2lambda = 20.4 cm(-1); g( perpendicular)(v = 0) = 2.02217; and gamma = -0.31 cm(-1) (to be compared with the available experimental A(iso)/A(dip)= 162/-30 MHz). For (79)BrH(2+), the corresponding values are 300/-400 MHz; 368 MHz; 362.6 cm(-1); 2.07302; and -0.98 cm(-1) (experimental 2lambda = 445(+/-80) cm(-1)). We find g( perpendicular)(ClH(2+)) to increase by about 0.0054 between v = 0 and 2, whereas the experimental effective g( perpendicular) changes drastically with vibrational excitation. Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants for halogen atoms X are found to be as large as corresponding A(dip)(X)'s, indicating that both terms may have to be included in the Hamiltonian used to interpret XH(2+) hyperfine spectra. A novel finding relates to the bound character of the 1(5)Sigma(-)(sigmapi(2)sigma) state in FH(2+), as already known for ClH(2+) and BrH(2+), but having a deeper potential well D(e) approximately 4,000 cm(-1) (versus 1,000 cm(-1) in the heavier radicals). Vertical ionization potentials for formation of XH(3+) trications are also discussed.

On the control of product yields in the photofragmentation of deuteriumchlorid ions (DCl+)

The prospect of controlling the photofragmentation of deuterium chloride ions (DCl+) via strong ultrashort IR laser pulses has been investigated by a numerical solution of coupled Schrodinger equations. The calculations provide evidence that the ratio of product ion yields Cl+ versus D+ can be manipulated by an appropriate choice of laser pulse parameters, in particular, central laser frequency, pulse duration, intensity, and chirp. The analysis of time-dependent populations reveals competition between intra- and interelectronic state excitations, enabling the understanding of quantum control at the molecular level.