Intracluster reactions charge transfer

The observed H+(NH3)n and H (NH3)n(PA) clusters are thought to be formed in a two-step reaction sequence taking place after ionization of the PA(NH3) cluster. The first step is a charge transfer (CT) reaction between the resonantly ionized PA+ and the NH3 molecules in the cluster. The second step is an intracluster ion-molecule reaction (ICIMR) of the charged ammonia cluster leading to the formation of an (n - 1) protonated cluster ion this has been previously established for NH3 clusters33 and is sufficiently exothermic for fragmentation of the cluster. 

This type of charge reduction by charge transfer to the solvent molecule occurs in general when SI are polar solvent molecules of aprotic character such as dimethyl-sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, and acetonitrile. Protic solvents such as water lead to charge reduction which involves an intracluster proton transfer reaction ... 

The reactions of vdW molecules and clusters can be divided into intra- and intercluster processes, and further into neutral and ionic cluster reactions. The latter were recently reviewed by Mark and Castleman. Therefore the scope of this contribution will be limited to neutral species only. We distinguish between intra- and intercluster reactions. In intracluster processes reactions are induced inside a cluster, usually by light. Examples of such reactions are the reaction of excited mercury atoms with various molecules attached to them, reactions that follow photodissociation in the cluster, and charge transfers inside a large cluster. In intercluster reactions the cross molecular beam technique is usually applied in order to monitor scattered products and their internal energy. The intercluster reactions may be divided into three major categories recombination processes, vdW exchange reactions, and reactions of clusters with metal atoms. 

Two basic schemes have been used for initiating intracluster processes. In the first the reaction is induced by electronic excitation of an atom inside the complex. Jouvet and Soep used this scheme for the study of several reactions of electronically excited mercury atoms Hg( Pi). In the reaction with CI2 they obtained conclusive evidence of the formation of a charge transfer intermediate in the process. In the reaction with Hj a strong dependence of the reactivity on the geometry was observed. It was found that the reaction occurs on the n surface with a C2 symmetry. 

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