Probing trinitrotoluene (TNT) by low-energy electrons: Strong fragmentation following attachment of electrons near 0 eV

Electron attachment to gas phase trinitrotoluene (TNT) is studied by means of a crossed electron-molecular beam experiment at high-energy resolution. TNT shows unique features in the way that electrons right at threshold (near 0 eV) generate both the non-decomposed anion and a variety of anions arising from dissociative electron attachment (DEA). While the parent anion is formed within a very narrow resonance near 0 eV, the DEA reactions extend to higher energies and are operative via several resonant features in the energy range 0–10 eV. They involve remarkably complex reaction sequences associated with multiple bond cleavages and formation of new bonds. By far the dominant DEA reaction generates an ion formed by the loss of a neutral OH radical from the precursor ion. Further strong ion signals arise from the loss of up to three neutral NO units. The remarkable instability of TNT following attachment of electrons with virtually no energy underlines the explosive nature of this compound.