Direct observation of long-lived cyanide anions in superexcited states

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.

Contrasting Dynamics in Isoelectronic Anions Formed by Electron Attachment

Cyanogen NCCN and cyanoacetylene HCCCN are isoelectronic molecules, and as such, they have many similar properties. We focus on the bond cleavage in these induced by the dissociative electron attachment. In both molecules, resonant electron attachment produces CN- with very similar energy dependence. We investigate the very different dissociation dynamics, in each of the two molecules, revealed by velocity map imaging of this common fragment. Different dynamics are manifested both in the excess energy partitioning and in the angular distributions of fragments. Based on the comparison with electron energy loss spectra, which provide information about possible parent states of the resonances (both optically allowed and forbidden excited states of the neutral target), we ascribe the observed effect to the distortion of the nuclear frame during the formation of core-excited resonance in cyanoacetylene. The proposed mechanism also explains a puzzling difference in the magnitude of the CN- cross section in the two molecules which has been so far unexplained.

Dissociation Dynamics of Anionic Nitrogen Dioxide in the Low-Lying Resonant States

Experimental studies of the dynamics near the molecular dissociation threshold are frequently frustrated, due to the small cross sections and the demand for identification of close-lying electronic states or nuclear motions with multiple degrees of freedom. Using the high-resolution anion velocity map imaging technique, here we report a dynamics study of the dissociations of anionic nitrogen dioxide in low-lying resonant states formed by electron attachment [e^- + NO₂ (X²A₁) → NO₂^- → NO (X²Π) + O^- (²P)]. The long-term puzzling issues about the near-threshold dissociations of NO₂^- are settled. We suggest that three low-lying resonant states (¹B₁, ³B₁, and ³B₂) of NO₂^- contribute to the production of O^- at attachment energies of <5 eV. Furthermore, B₁ and B₂ symmetries of the resonant states lead to different anisotropies of the O^- angular distribution. At the relatively high electron attachment energies, a prompt fragmentation in the molecular bent conformation competes with an indirect dissociation in the straightened conformation.