An ion mobility mass spectrometer coupled with a cryogenic ion trap for recording electronic spectra of charged, isomer-selected clusters

Buntine, Jack T., Carrascosa, Eduardo, Bull, James N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0953-1716, Jacovella, Ugo, Cotter, Mariah I., Watkins, Patrick, Liu, Chang, Scholz, Michael S., Adamson, Brian D., Marlton, Samuel J. P. and Bieske, Evan J. (2022) An ion mobility mass spectrometer coupled with a cryogenic ion trap for recording electronic spectra of charged, isomer-selected clusters. Review of Scientific Instruments, 93 (4). ISSN 0034-6748

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Abstract

Infrared and electronic spectra are indispensable for understanding the structural and energetic properties of charged molecules and clusters in the gas phase. However, the presence of isomers can potentially complicate the interpretation of spectra, even if the target molecules or clusters are mass-selected beforehand. Here, we describe an instrument for spectroscopically characterizing charged molecular clusters that have been selected according to both their isomeric form and their mass-to-charge ratio. Cluster ions generated by laser ablation of a solid sample are selected according to their collision cross sections with helium buffer gas using a drift tube ion mobility spectrometer and their mass-to-charge ratio using a quadrupole mass filter. The mobility- and mass-selected target ions are introduced into a cryogenically cooled, three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap where they are thermalized through inelastic collisions with an inert buffer gas (He or He/N2 mixture). Spectra of the molecular ions are obtained by tagging them with inert atoms or molecules (Ne and N2), which are dislodged following resonant excitation of an electronic transition, or by photodissociating the cluster itself following absorption of one or more photons. An electronic spectrum is generated by monitoring the charged photofragment yield as a function of wavelength. The capacity of the instrument is illustrated with the resonance-enhanced photodissociation action spectra of carbon clusters (Cn+) and polyacetylene cations (HC2nH+) that have been selected according to the mass-to-charge ratio and collision cross section with He buffer gas and of mass-selected Au2+ and Au2Ag+ clusters.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding Information: This research was supported under the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project funding scheme (Project Nos. DP150101427 and DP160100474). J.T.B. acknowledges the University of Melbourne and Australian government for support through the Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship scheme.
Uncontrolled Keywords: instrumentation ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3105
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Chemistry
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Photonics and Quantum Science
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 05 Apr 2022 10:30
Last Modified: 09 Feb 2023 13:50
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/84471
DOI: 10.1063/5.0085680

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