GAS-PHASE SOLVATION OF NO-2(+), N2O+, N2OH+, AND H3O+ WITH N2O(, O)

Gas-phase clustering reactions of NO+, 0(2)(+), N2O+, N2OH+, and H3Owith N2O were measured with a pulsed electron-beam high pressure mass spectrometer. The bond in NO+(N2O)(n) is found to be electrostatic, wh ile those in O-2(+)(N2O)(1), N2O+(N2O)(1), and N2OH+(N2O)(1) have cova lent character. The observed n dependence of -Delta H-n-1,n(0) for the clustering reactions suggests that the cluster ions have the structur es of the core ion plus ligand molecules, i.e., NO+(N2O)3(N2O)(n-3), O 2+N2O(N2O)(n-1), (N2O)(2)(+)(N2O)(n-1), H+N2O(N2O)(1)(N2O)(n-1), and H 3O+(N2O)(3)(N2O)(n-3). The N2O molecule forms stronger bonds with NO+, O-2(+), and H3O+ ions than the isoelectronic CO2 molecule, indicating that N2O is a stronger nucleophilic reagent than CO2.