Laser Ablation of NH4NO3

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100151a029

The laser ablation of ammonium nitrate has been studied, with products collected under low-pressure conditions on a cryogenic argon matrix surface.Relative product populations are analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy.Large effects are observed as the laser fluence and wavelengths are changed.Using 1064-nm pulses or low fluences of 532 nm, NH3 and HNO3 are most abundant with smaller (or negligible) quantities of NO, NO2, and N2O.At 266 nm and higher fluences of 532 nm, the reactions produce larger populations of NO, NO2, and small amounts of N2O.Dimers and other aggregates of H2O, N2O, and NO are observed in the FTIR spectra and are attributed to migration in or condensation near the matrix.In addition, isotopic substitution of ¹⁵N in the NH4 and NO3 components of ammonium nitrate results in some scrambling of the NO and N2O products but not the HNO3 product, suggesting that multiple collisions leading to secondary products of the nitrogen oxides are occuring.