Bare Tetranuclear Transition-Metal Cluster Ions in the Gas Phase. Reactivity of Sc4(1+) with Small Molecules

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00292a022

In this paper we report the first studies on the reactivity of a bare tetranuclear cluster ion, Sc4(1+), with a variety of small molecules in the gas phase using Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS).This tetranuclear ion was generated directly by focusing the beam of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser into a small cavity drilled into a high-purity scandium rod.The Sc4(1+) is found to exhibit an extraordinary degree of reactivity toward alkanes.Particularly remarkable is the extent to which dehydrogenation occurs, much greater than is observed for any of the atomic transition-metal ions investigated to date including Sc(1+).Some carbon chain cleavage is also observed for alkanes larger then propane.Finally, the tetramer undergoes a variety of interesting reactions with oxygen, benzene, methanol, and ethylene sulfide.