Bismuth carbide cluster ions produced by a gas aggregation source

Bismuth carbide cluster ions, BinC2n+ (n = 3–11), were produced using a gas aggregation source. Reactions of neutral Bi clusters with hydrocarbon gases having unsaturated C–C bonds (C2H2, C2H4, and C2H2F2) followed by laser ionization can produce BinC2n+ in a gas phase. Bismuth carbide clusters smaller than Bi3C6+ were not found. Even-odd alternation in the stabilities of the cluster ions was observed, and the abundance of cluster ions with odd number of n in BinC2n+ was enhanced in the TOF-mass spectra. Density functional calculations of the BinC2n+ were performed in order to estimate the geometries of the cluster ions and the stability dependence on the cluster size.

Bismuth carbide cluster ions, BinC2n+ (n = 3–11), were produced using a gas aggregation source. Reactions of neutral Bi clusters with hydrocarbon gases followed by laser ionization can produce BinC2n+ in a gas phase.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide