Cluster ions: Gas‐phase stabilities of NO+(O2)n and NO+(CO2)n with n=1–5
摘要:
Thermodynamic stabilities of cluster ions NO+(O2)n and NO+(CO2)n with n=1–5 were determined with a pulsed electron beam mass spectrometer. The measured binding energies of NO+(O2)n were found to be considerably smaller than those of NO+(N2)n, i.e., the solvating power of O2 toward NO+ is weaker than that of N2. For both NO+(O2)n and NO+(CO2)n, the cluster ions with n=3 were found to be relatively more stable toward dissociation. The experimental energies of NO+(CO2)n agree well with ab initio ones and are much larger than those of NO+(N2)n and NO+(O2)n. Structural difference between NO+(N2)n and NO+(CO2)n is also discussed. It is postulated that not NO+(O2) but NO+(CO2) is the key intermediate for conversion of NO+ to the hydronium series ions in the D region of the Earth’s atmosphere.