Metal cluster ions

The reactivity of size-selected transition-metal cluster ions has been studied witli various types of mass spectrometric teclmiques [1 ]. Fourier-transfonn ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) is a particularly powerful teclmique in which a cluster ion can be stored and cooled before experimentation. Thus, multiple reaction steps can be followed in FT-ICR, in addition to its high sensitivity and mass resolution. Many chemical reaction studies of transition-metal clusters witli simple reactants and hydrocarbons have been carried out using FT-ICR [49, 58]. 

The extent of a reaction in these measurements is determined by bare metal cluster ion signal depletion. In most cases products are also observed. Some systems show multiple adducts indicating comparable or higher rates for each successive step up to a saturation level. For other systems the fully saturated product is observed almost as soon as the reaction starts. This later behavior is characteri sti c of an early rate-limiting step. Due to this complexity kinetics have only been reported on the formation of the first adduct, i. e. for the initial chemisorption step. 

The reactions of some transition metal cluster ions have been described in a review by Parent and Anderson (201). The review covered reactions reported up to 1992 and so the reactions reported here are generally later than 1992. A recent review by Knickelbein (202) discusses the reactions of cation clusters of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, silver, niobium, and tungsten with small molecules such as H2 and D2. Some of the reactions in Knickelbein s review are included in the following tables of reactions (Tables IV and V). Table IV gives examples of the reactions of transition metal cluster ions and includes the vaporization source, experimental apparatus, the reactants, and the observed product ions. A few examples from these tables will be selected for further discussion. 

The preparation and reactions of metal cluster ions containing three or more different elements is an area with a paucity of results. The metal cyanides of Zn, Cd (258), Cu, and Ag (259) have been subjected to a LA-FT-ICR study and the Cu and Ag complex ions reacted with various reagents (2,256). The [M (CN) ]+ and [M (CN) +11 ions of copper, where n = 1-5, were calculated to be linear using the density functional method. The silver ions were assumed to have similar structures. The anions [M (CN) +1 of both copper and silver were unreactive to a variety of donor molecules but the cations M (CN) H + reacted with various donor molecules. In each case, where reactions took place, the maximum number of ligands added to the cation was three and this only occurred for the reactions of ammonia with [Cu2(CN)]+, [Cu3(CN)2]+, [Ag3(CN)2]+, and [ Ag4(CN)3]+. Most of the ions reacted sequentially with two molecules of the donor with the order of reactivity being Cu > Ag and NH3 > H2S > CO. 

Electrospray ionization will often produce ions that are fully coordinated, stable, and nonreactive in the gas phase. These ions may be probed by removal of ligands to form coordinatively unsaturated ions that are generally reactive. The chemical activity of metal cluster ions differs markedly and often shows size specific enhanced reactivity or lack of reactivity. Silver cluster ions Ag are fairly inert similar to Ag+. Platinum cluster ions PL are quite reactive similar to Pt+. Often, large cluster ions only appear to react with one donor molecule such as benzene this may be due to low concentrations of reactants or short reaction times. Similar clusters may react with a larger number of smaller molecules, and so until more information is available, rules for the coordination behavior of metal clusters are as yet not available. 

Bare group 13 metal vertices (e.g., Ga, In, Tl) provide, as noted above, only one skeletal electron each to polyhedral cluster structures. Thus it is not surprising that the bare metal cluster ions Enz (E = group 13 element) found in homonuclear alkali-metal/group 13 intermetallic phases [86-89] (mainly for In and Tl) have charges less negative than the — (n + 2) (i.e., z [Pg.21]

PHI TRIFT IV ToF-SIMS (Physical Electronics, USA) employs three electrostatic analyzers in the ion path to filter the background and metastable secondary ions. Using liquid metal cluster ion guns (such as Aut ion beam for sputtering of sample surface) increased sensitivity compared to a Ga+ primary ion beam are obtained (www.phi.com). The application of dual primary ion guns is useful for an effective dual beam depth profiling on multi-layered samples. 

The facile loss of carbonyl groups in the mass spectra of metal carbonyls permits the generation of novel bare metal cluster ions Mj in the mass spectra of polynuclear metal carbonyls of the type Mx(CO)y. Thus in the mass spectra of Mn2(CO)io and Co2(C0)s all carbonyl groups are lost before rupture of the metal-metal bond resulting in the production of the bimetallic ions Mn and Co 2, respectively 14>. 

Armentrout PB (2001) Reactions and thermochemistry of small transition metal cluster ions. Annu Rev Phys Chem 52 423... 

Fig. 1.21. Schematic layout of the ion mobility instrument employed in metal cluster ion studies. The setup consists of different cluster sources housed in a source chamber, a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, a helium filled drift cell, and a quadru-pole mass filter for final ion detection (from right to left). Also displayed is an ion trajectory simulation of cluster ions of a mass of 500 amu drawn through the helium filled (7 mbar) drift cell at 300 K. The simulations show that under these conditions roughly 1% of the ions hnally escape through the 0.5 mm diameter exit hole [137]...

Coadsorption phenomena in heterogeneous catalysis and surface chemistry quite commonly consider competitive effects between two reactants on a metal surface [240,344]. Also cooperative mutual interaction in the adsorption behavior of two molecules has been reported [240]. Recently, this latter phenomenon was found to be very pronounced on small gas-phase metal cluster ions too [351-354]. This is mainly due to the fact that the metal cluster reactivity is often strongly charge state dependent and that an adsorbed molecule can effectively influence the metal cluster electronic structure by, e.g., charge transfer effects. This changed electronic complex structure in turn might foster (or also inhibit) adsorption and reaction of further reactant molecules that would otherwise not be possible. An example of cooperative adsorption effects on small free silver cluster ions identified in an ion trap experiment will be presented in the following. 

Photodissociation of the transition-metal cluster ion VFe provides an indirect measure of the absorption spectrum of the lon. Matrix photolysis of M(Tj -CgH,)2(H)CO and M(n -C,H,)2H2 (M-Nb, Ta) yields the monohydrides M(ti -C5Hs)H, uld irradiation of (ti -C.Hs)2V(CH,)2 results in formation of methane and ethame. The amount of ethaine formed is dependent on the solvent, concentration of substrate, time aind temperature. ... 

Fayet, P. and Woste, L. (1986) Experiments on size-selected metal cluster ions in a triple quadrupole arrangement. Zeitschrift fur Physik D, Atoms, Molecules and Clusters, 3, 177-182. 

Alford J M, Williams P E, Trevor D E and Smalley R E 1986 Metal cluster ion cyclotron resonance combining supersonic metal cluster beam technology with FT-ICR Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Process. 72 33... 

It is noteworthy that while ground state rhodium atoms insert into methane molecules [9a], there is no evidence of chemical reaction for the ground state of rhenium with CH4 up to a temperature of 548 K [9b], Reactions of metal cluster ions, for example, MgFe [10a], Pt [10b], Nb ", and Rh [10c] with saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in the gas phase have been recently described. 

Intermediates in high-temperature processes have been stabilized at low temperature after y irradiation of metal oxides and zeolites. Important early examples were oxygen anions. O, 02 and O. Some of their reactions with small molecules were also elucidated by EPR. Metal cluster ions have also been produced by radiolysis and stabilized in zeolites. Examples include alkali metal cation clusters in faujasites and silver cation clusters in zeolite A and in silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves. Detailed information was obtained from EPR studies about their structure, thermal stability and formation of adducts. 

L.12 Chemistry of metal and semi-metal cluster ions... 

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