THE REACTIVITY OF NEAT AND MIXED PROTON-BOUND ETHANOL CLUSTERS

Thermal reactions of (C2H5OHH+ (n = 1-3) and of (C2H5OH)(CH3CNH+ with a series of base molecules B were studied using a selected-ion flow tu be. The reactions of the neat trimer are intrinsically fast, i.e. they occur at the calculated collision rates provided they are exothermic. The reaction efficiencies for the alkyl-blocked mixed trimer are cons iderably lower. This is ascribed to the inability of the mixed trimer to undergo hydrogen bonding in its periphery. Reactions observed were association, ligand switching, solvent evaporation and proton transfer . The mixed trimer undergoes a set of unique switching reactions with ammonia, methylamine and i-C3H7OH, in which the protonated ethanol cor e ion is exchanged by the protonated core ions of these three bases, r espectively.