THE SULFUR REACTION IN SMALL IONIZED CARBONYL SULFIDE CLUSTERS

Ionic species obtained by electron impact on (OCS), clusters produced by expansion of OCS mixed with argon at two different (OCS/argon) conc entrations are studied as a function of stagnation pressure and electr on energy. Ionization efficiency curves of homogeneous cluster ions (O CS)(n)(+), homogeneous sulfur duster ions S-m(+) and inhomogeneous ion s (OCS)(n)S-m(+) are analyzed. Several reactions paths, ending in S-m( +), have been identified. The strong correlation between reaction path and cluster size is discussed. Finally, by minimization of the potent ial function created by dipole-dipole, dipole-quadrupole, and quadrupo le-quadrupole interactions between OCS molecules, we propose the geome trical configurations of neutral (OCS)(n) (n=2-5) clusters. (C) 1996 A merican Institute of Physics.