Multiply Charged Negative Ions

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

Robert Compton of the University of Tennessee is supported by a grant from the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to perform experiments to study the production of dianions and their destruction by photodetachment. The studies will include both large carbon containing molecules and smaller fluorinated metals. The dianions will be generated in a variety of ways including laser desorption, fast anion collisions with electron donating gases, gas phase electron attachment, electrospray and burning metal wires in fluorine. In the laser desorption, the enhancement of dianion production by magnetic fields will be investigated. During these studies, fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic data will be obtained such as cross-sections for collisional electron attachment, electron affinities, bond dissociation energies and thresholds for attachment. These data will be used to investigate the interaction potential between the electron and the monoanion and to probe the Coulomb barrier involved. The proposed studies will lead to a greater understanding of the interaction of electrons with molecules having a single negative charge. The doubly charged molecules so produced are important in emerging fields of mass spectrometry and have applications in biology, medicine, as well as the technological areas of radiation chemistry, photochemistry, plasma physics and in high voltage accelerators such as the National Spallation Neutron Source.