Xiaofeng Tang

A threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectrometer with double velocity imaging using synchrotron radiation

A novel threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) imaging spectrometer at the U14-A beamline of the Hefei National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory is presented. A set of open electron and ion lenses are utilized to map velocity imaging of photoelectrons and photoions simultaneously, in which a repelling electric field using an extra lens is applied to magnify images of photoelectrons instead of traditional accelerating electric field in order to suppress the contribution of energetic electrons in the threshold photoelectron spectroscopy (TPES) and the mass-selected TPEPICO spectroscopy. The typical energy resolution of TPES is measured to be 9 meV (full width at half maximum), as shown on the (2)P(1/2) ionization of argon. The measured mass resolving power for the present TPEPICO imaging spectrometer is above 900 of M/DeltaM. Subsequently as a benchmark, oxygen molecule is photoionized by monochromatic synchrotron radiation at 20.298 eV and dissociates to an oxygen atomic ion and a neutral oxygen atom, and the translation energy distribution of oxygen atomic ion is measured by the time-sliced imaging based on mass-selected TPEPICO experiment. The kinetic energy resolution of the present ion velocity imaging is better than 3% of DeltaE/E.

Dissociation of Vibrational State-Selected O2+Ions in the B2Σg¯State Using Threshold Photoelectron–Photoion Coincidence Velocity Imaging

Using the recently developed threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging mass spectrometer (Tang et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum.2009, 80, 113101), dissociation of vibrational state-selected O(2)(+)(B(2)Σ(g)(¯), v(+) = 0-6) ions was investigated. Both the speed and angular distributions of the O(+) fragments dissociated from individually vibronic levels of the B(2)Σ(g)(¯) state were obtained directly from the three-dimensional time-sliced TPEPICO velocity images. Two dissociation channels, O(+)((4)S) + O((3)P) and O(+)((4)S) + O((1)D), were respectively observed, and their branching ratios were found to be heavily dependent on the vibrational states. A new intersection mechanism was suggested for the predissociation of O(2)(+)(B(2)Σ(g)(¯)) ions, especially for dissociation at the energy of the v(+) = 4 level. In addition, the anisotropic parameters for O(+) fragments from different dissociative pathways were determined to be close to zero, indicating that the v(+) = 0-6 levels of B(2)Σ(g)(¯) predissociate on a time scale that is much slower than that of molecular rotation.

NO+ formation pathways in dissociation of N2O+ ions at the C2Σ+ state revealed from threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence velocity imaging.

Using the novel threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging technique, the dissociative photoionization of N(2)O molecule via the C(2)Σ(+) ionic state has been investigated. Four fragment ions, NO(+), N(2)(+), O(+), and N(+), are observed, respectively, and the NO(+) and N(+) ions are always dominant in the whole excitation energy range of the C(2)Σ(+) ionic state. Subsequently, the TPEPICO three-dimensional time-sliced velocity images of NO(+) dissociated from the vibrational state-selected N(2)O(+)(C(2)Σ(+)) ions have been recorded. Thus the kinetic and internal energy distributions of the NO(+) fragments have been obtained directly as the bimodal distributions, suggesting that the NO(+) fragments are formed via both NO(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) + N((2)P) and NO(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) + N((2)D) dissociation channels. Almost the same vibrational population reversions are identified for both dissociation pathways. Interestingly, the obtained branching ratios of the two channels exhibit some dependence on the excited vibrational mode for N(2)O(+)(C(2)Σ(+)), in which the excited asymmetrical stretching potentially promotes dissociation possibility along the NO(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) + N((2)D) pathway. In addition, the measured anisotropic parameters of NO(+) are close to 0.5, indicating that the C(2)Σ(+) state of N(2)O(+) is fully predissociative, indeed, with a tendency of parallel dissociation, and therefore, the corresponding predissociation mechanisms for the N(2)O(+)(C(2)Σ(+)) ions are depicted.

Dissociation limit and dissociation dynamic of CF4+: Application of threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence velocity imaging

Dissociation of internal energy selected CF4(+) ions in an excitation energy range of 15.40-19.60 eV has been investigated using threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging. Only CF3(+) fragment ions are observed in coincident mass spectra, indicating all the X(2)T1, A(2)T2, and B(2)E ionic states of CF4(+) are fully dissociative. Both kinetic energy released distribution (KERD) and angular distribution in dissociation of CF4(+) ions have been derived from three-dimensional TPEPICO time-sliced images. A parallel distribution of CF3(+) fragments along the polarization vector of photon is observed for dissociation of CF4(+) ions in all the low-lying electronic states. With the aid of F-loss potential energy curves, dissociation mechanisms of CF4(+) ions in these electronic states have been proposed. CF4(+) ions in both X(2)T1 and A(2)T2 states directly dissociate to CF3(+) and F fragments along the repulsive C-F coordinate, while a two-step dissociation mechanism is suggested for B(2)E state: CF4(+)(B(2)E) ion first converts to the lower A(2)T2 state via internal conversion, then dissociates to CF3(+) and F fragments along the steep A(2)T2 potential energy surface. In addition, an adiabatic appearance potential of AP0(CF3(+)∕CF4) has also been established to be 14.71 ± 0.02 eV, which is very consistent with the recent calculated values.

Dissociation of internal energy-selected methyl bromide ion revealed from threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence velocity imaging

Dissociative photoionization of methyl bromide (CH3Br) in an excitation energy range of 10.45-16.90 eV has been investigated by using threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) velocity imaging. The coincident time-of-flight mass spectra indicate that the ground state X(2)E of CH3Br(+) is stable, and both A(2)A1 and B(2)E ionic excited states are fully dissociative to produce the unique fragment ion of CH3 (+). From TPEPICO 3D time-sliced velocity images of CH3 (+) dissociated from specific state-selected CH3Br(+) ion, kinetic energy release distribution (KERD) and angular distribution of CH3 (+) fragment ion are directly obtained. Both spin-orbit states of Br((2)P) atom can be clearly observed in fast dissociation of CH3Br(+)(A(2)A1) ion along C-Br rupture, while a KERD of Maxwell-Boltzmann profile is obtained in dissociation of CH3Br(+)(B(2)E) ion. With the aid of the re-calculated potential energy curves of CH3Br(+) including spin-orbit coupling, dissociation mechanisms of CH3Br(+) ion in A(2)A1 and B(2)E states along C-Br rupture are revealed. For CH3Br(+)(A(2)A1) ion, the CH3 (+) + Br((2)P1/2) channel is occurred via an adiabatic dissociation by vibration, while the Br((2)P3/2) formation is through vibronic coupling to the high vibrational level of X(2)E state followed by rapid dissociation. C-Br bond breaking of CH3Br(+)(B(2)E) ion can occur via slow internal conversion to the excited vibrational level of the lower electronic states and then dissociation.

Threshold Photoelectron-photoion Coincidence Imaging of Dissociation Dynamic of NO+ at c3Π(v′=0) State

The photodissociation of NO+ at c3Π(v′ = 0) state is studied by threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence imaging method. By some assumptions, the relations between velocity in center of mass (CM) coordinates and most probable center of mass (MPCM) coordinates, time of flight and displacement in the velocity map image of fragment ions are derived using vector addition of velocity and displacement on the condition of perpendicular molecular beam. Using these relations the velocity in CM coordinates, the velocity and angular distribution of N+ fragment ions in MPCM coordinates are obtained and discussed, respectively.