B. Plastridge et al., RECOMBINATION OF OPPOSITELY CHARGED AQUEOUS CLUSTER IONS USING ELECTROSTATICALLY MERGED ION-BEAMS, Surface review and letters, 3(1), 1996, pp. 655-660
A new method for studying cluster-cluster interactions is introduced w
hich involves merging mass-selected beams of oppositely charged cluste
r ions with an electrostatic quadrupole deflector. Recombination is mo
nitored by measuring the rate of fast neutral production. Relative rat
e constants have been measured for the reaction of H3O+(H2O)(n)+OH-(H2
O)(m) as a function of cluster size (m = n = 0-3), which display a pro
nounced enhancement with clustering. Relative rate constants have also
been measured as a function of center-of-mass collision energy for a
heavily clustered reaction (n = 3, m = 3) and a lightly clustered reac
tion (n = 1, m = 0) revealing that clustering produces a dramatic chan
ge in the reaction mechanism.