https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2013-30677-5
Regular Article
Size-dependent reactivity of aluminum cluster cations toward water molecules*
Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University,
6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku,
812-8581
Fukuoka,
Japan
a e-mail: terasaki@chem.kyushu-univ.jp
Received:
6
November
2012
Received in final form:
7
February
2013
Published online:
30
April
2013
We present gas-phase reaction of size-selected aluminum cluster cations (AlN+ , N = 3–19) with a water molecule. As major reaction products, AlNO+ and AlN(H2O)+ were observed for N ≥ 6 under single-collision conditions. The production of AlNO+ implies that AlN+ reacts with a H2O molecule to form AlNO+ and H2. In contrast to the previous report on H2 generation by AlN-, a wider size range of AlN+ exhibited high reactivity via a different mechanism. Selective formation of either AlNO+ or AlN(H2O)+ was observed in the size range of 6 ≤ N ≤ 13. Our results suggest that the internal energy of a precursor complex [AlN(H2O)+]∗ is relevant to the selectivity of the reaction products.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag 2013
