Photodetachment of cold OH- in a multipole ion trap

A versatile 16-pole ion trap setup for investigating photophysics of biomolecular ions

A linear 16-pole ion trap-based experimental setup has been designed, implemented, and characterized to investigate the photophysics of biomolecules in the gas phase. Electrospray ionization is employed to generate the ions in the gas phase at atmospheric pressure. The voltage configuration on the ion funnel, the ion optic device in the first vacuum interface, is used to control the energy of the ions. A home-built quadrupole mass-filter is utilized for the mass-selection of the ions of interest. A 16-pole ion trap designed and built in-house is implemented for ion trapping. The instrument's versatility and capability are showcased by demonstrating the fragmentation patterns of protonated and deprotonated tryptophan, as well as describing the photodetachment decay of deprotonated indole.

Associative detachment in anion-atom reactions involving a dipole-bound electron

Associative electronic detachment (AED) between anions and neutral atoms leads to the detachment of the anion’s electron resulting in the formation of a neutral molecule. It plays a key role in chemical reaction networks, like the interstellar medium, the Earth’s ionosphere and biochemical processes. Here, a class of AED involving a closed-shell anion (OH⁻) and alkali atoms (rubidium) is investigated by precisely controlling the fraction of electronically excited rubidium. Reaction with the ground state atom gives rise to a stable intermediate complex with an electron solely bound via dipolar forces. The stability of the complex is governed by the subtle interplay of diabatic and adiabatic couplings into the autodetachment manifold. The measured rate coefficients are in good agreement with ab initio calculations, revealing pronounced steric effects. For excited state rubidium, however, a lower reaction rate is observed, indicating dynamical stabilization processes suppressing the coupling into the autodetachment region. Our work provides a stringent test of ab initio calculations on anion-neutral collisions and constitutes a generic, conceptual framework for understanding electronic state dependent dynamics in AEDs.

Associative electronic detachment (AED) reactions of anions play a key role in many natural processes. Here, Hassan and colleagues investigate AED reactions between hydroxyl anions and ultracold rubidium atoms in a hybrid atom-ion trap, revealing different dynamics for collisions with ground and electronically excited state rubidium.

Thermometry in a Multipole Ion Trap

We present a characterization of the ions’ translational energy distribution in a multipole ion trap. A linear mapping between the energy distribution of the trapped ions onto the ions’ time-of-flight (TOF) to a detector is demonstrated. For low ion temperatures, a deviation from linearity is observed and can be attributed to the emergence of multiple potential minima. The potential landscape of the trapped ions is modeled via the finite element method, also accounting for subtleties such as surface-charge accumulation. We demonstrate the validity of our thermometry method by simulating the energy distribution of the ion ensemble thermalized with buffer gas using a Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation. A comparison between the energy distribution of trapped ions in different multipole trap configurations—i.e., with hyperbolic rods, cylindrical rods, and cylindrical wires—is provided. With these findings, one can map the temperature of the trapped ions down to the Kelvin regime using their TOF distributions. This enables future studies on sympathetic cooling and chemical reactions involving ions in multipole traps.

A cryogenic cylindrical ion trap velocity map imaging spectrometer

A cryogenic cylindrical ion trap velocity map imaging spectrometer has been developed to study photodissociation spectroscopy and dynamics of gaseous molecular ions and ionic complexes. A cylindrical ion trap made of oxygen-free copper is cryogenically cooled down to ∼7 K by using a closed cycle helium refrigerator and is coupled to a velocity map imaging (VMI) spectrometer. The cold trap is used to cool down the internal temperature of mass selected ions and to reduce the velocity spread of ions after extraction from the trap. For CO₂ ⁺ ions, a rotational temperature of ∼12 K is estimated from the recorded [1 + 1] two-photon dissociation spectrum, and populations in spin-orbit excited X²Π_g,1/2 and vibrationally excited states of CO₂ ⁺ are found to be non-detectable, indicating an efficient internal cooling of the trapped ions. Based on the time-of-flight peak profile and the image of N₃ ⁺, the velocity spread of the ions extracted from the trap, both radially and axially, is interpreted as approximately ±25 m/s. An experimental image of fragmented Ar⁺ from 307 nm photodissociation of Ar₂ ⁺ shows that, benefitting from the well-confined velocity spread of the cold Ar₂ ⁺ ions, a VMI resolution of Δv/v ∼ 2.2% has been obtained. The current instrument resolution is mainly limited by the residual radial speed spread of the parent ions after extraction from the trap.

Ab initio study of the neutral and anionic alkali and alkaline earth hydroxides: Electronic structure and prospects for sympathetic cooling of OH. J Chem Phys 2017;146:194309. [PMID: 28527437 PMCID: PMC5438307 DOI: 10.1063/1.4983627]

We have performed a systematic ab initio study on alkali and alkaline earth hydroxide neutral (MOH) and anionic (MOH-) species where M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba. The CCSD(T) method with extended basis sets and Dirac-Fock relativistic effective core potentials for the heavier atoms has been used to study their equilibrium geometries, interaction energies, electron affinities, electric dipole moment, and potential energy surfaces. All neutral and anionic species exhibit a linear shape with the exception of BeOH, BeOH-, and MgOH-, for which the equilibrium structure is found to be bent. Our analysis shows that the alkaline earth hydroxide anions are valence-bound whereas the alkali hydroxide anions are dipole bound. In the context of sympathetic cooling of OH- by collision with ultracold alkali and alkaline earth atoms, we investigate the 2D MOH- potential energy surfaces and the associative detachment reaction M + OH→- MOH + e-, which is the only energetically allowed reactive channel in the cold regime. We discuss the implication for the sympathetic cooling of OH- and conclude that Li and K are the best candidates for an ultracold buffer gas.

H/D exchange in reactions of OH− with D2 and of OD− with H2 at low temperatures

The H₃O⁻ isotopic system was studied by observing the endothermic and exothermic isotope exchange reactions OD⁻ + H₂ → OH⁻ + HD and OH⁻ + D₂ → OD⁻ + HD using a cryogenic ion trap.

Two-photon rotational action spectroscopy of cold OH- at 1 ppb accuracy

The fundamental rotational transition J = 1←0 of the anion OH(-) has been measured by cooling mass-selected OH(-) ions to 10 K in a 22-pole ion trap and applying a novel rotational-rovibrational two-photon scheme. A transition frequency of (1  123 101.0410 ± 0.0014)  MHz was obtained with so far unprecedented accuracy. The general application of the presented action-spectroscopy scheme to other anions and cations is discussed.

Cryogenically cooled octupole ion trap for spectroscopy of biomolecular ions

We present here the design of a linear octupole ion trap, suitable for collisional cryogenic cooling and spectroscopy of large ions. The performance of this trap has been assessed using ultraviolet (UV) photofragmentation spectroscopy of protonated dipeptides. At the trap temperature of 6.1 K, the vibrational temperature of the ions reaches 9.1 K, although their estimated translational temperature is ~150 K. This observation suggests that, despite the significant translational heating by radio-frequency electrical field, vibrational cooling of heavy ions in the octupole is at least as efficient as in the 22-pole ion traps previously used in our laboratory. In contrast to the 22-pole traps, excellent radial confinement of ions in the octupole makes it convenient for laser spectroscopy and boosts the dissociation yield of the stored ions to 30%. Overlap of the entire ion cloud by the laser beam in the octupole also allows for efficient UV depletion spectroscopy of ion-He clusters. The measured electronic spectra of the dipeptides and the clusters differ drastically, complicating a use of UV tagging spectroscopy for structural determination of large species.

Note: New design of a cryogenic linear radio frequency multipole trap

A new design of a cryogenic linear 22-pole ion trap has been constructed and tested. It is essentially a copper housing to which opposite inner walls two electrode sets are attached via sapphire insulators. These stainless steel electrodes are electroformed in one piece to guarantee good heat conduction. Connected to an external coil, they form an LC-circuit of about 19 MHz resonance frequency. This circuit is excited with a rf power supply made of a commercial digital synthesizer followed by a 10 W amplifier. Buffer gas-cooled H(2)D(+) ions have been stored in this trap at a nominal trap temperature of 14 K. Spectroscopy of the ions confirmed that the kinetic (Doppler) temperature is in reasonable agreement with this value.

Chemical probing spectroscopy of H3+ above the barrier to linearity

We have performed chemical probing spectroscopy of H(3) (+) ions trapped in a cryogenic 22-pole ion trap. The ions were buffer gas cooled to approximately 55 K by collisions with helium and argon. Excitation to states above the barrier to linearity was achieved by a Ti:sapphire laser operated between 11 300 and 13 300 cm(-1). Subsequent collisions of the excited H(3) (+) ions with argon lead to the formation of ArH(+) ions that were detected by a quadrupole mass spectrometer with high sensitivity. We report the observation of 17 previously unobserved transitions to states above the barrier to linearity. Comparison to theoretical calculations suggests that the transition strengths of some of these lines are more than five orders of magnitude smaller than those of the fundamental band, which renders them-to the best of our knowledge-the weakest H(3) (+) transitions observed to date.

Inverse temperature dependent lifetimes of transient S(N)2 ion-dipole complexes

The association and collisional stabilization of the S(N)2 entrance channel complex [Cl(-)...CH3Cl]* is studied in a low-temperature radiofrequency ion trap. The temperature dependence of the ternary rate coefficient is measured and a much stronger inverse temperature dependence than expected from a simple statistical calculation is found. From these data the lifetime of the transient S(N)2 complex has been derived as a function of temperature. It is suggested that the inverse temperature dependent rates of nonsymmetric S(N)2 reactions are related to the observed inverse temperature dependence of the transient ion-dipole complexes.

Nonstandard behavior of a negative ion reaction at very low temperatures

We have studied the negative ion reaction NH2-+H_{2}-->NH_{3}+H- in the temperature range from 300 to 8 K. We observe a strongly suppressed probability for proton transfer at room temperature. With decreasing temperature, this probability increases, in accordance with a longer lifetime of an intermediate anion-neutral complex. At low temperatures, a maximum in the reaction rate coefficient is observed that suggests the presence of a very small barrier at long range or a quantum mechanical resonance feature.

Probing isotope effects in chemical reactions using single ions

Isotope effects in reactions between Mg+ in the 3p{2}P{3/2} excited state and molecular hydrogen at thermal energies are studied through single reaction events. From only approximately 250 reactions with HD, the branching ratio between formation of MgD+ and MgH+ is found to be larger than 5. From an additional 65 reactions with H2 and D2 we find that the overall fragmentation probability of the intermediate MgH2+, MgHD+, or MgD2+ complexes is the same. Our study shows that few single ion reactions can provide quantitative information on ion-neutral reactions. Hence, the method is well suited for reaction studies involving rare species, e.g., rare isotopes or short-lived unstable elements.

Evaporation of buffer-gas-thermalized anions out of a multipole rf ion trap

We identify plain evaporation of ions as the fundamental loss mechanism out of a multipole ion trap. Using thermalized negative Cl- ions we find that the evaporative loss rate is proportional to a Boltzmann factor. This thermodynamic description allows us to extract the effective depth of the ion trap. As a function of the rf amplitude we find two distinct regimes related to the stability of motion of the trapped ions. For low amplitudes the entire trap allows for stable motion and the trap depth increases with the rf field. For larger rf amplitudes rapid energy transfer from the field to the ion motion can occur at large trap radii, which leads to a reduction of the effective trapping volume. In this regime the trap depth decreases again with increasing rf amplitude. We give an analytical parametrization of the trap depth for various multipole traps that allows predictions of the most favorable trapping conditions.