CHEMICAL-REACTIONS IN CF3H CLUSTER IONS

Ion-molecule reactions within the trifluoromethane cluster system are probed using a reverse geometry, double focusing mass spectrometer. To account for the range of fragment ions observed in the mass spectra, it is proposed that fluoride ion transfer is part of the reaction sequ ence initiated by ionization. Collision-induced dissociation studies a re also performed on clusters of(CF3H)(n)H+. A tendency to yield certa in units during (CF3H)(n)H+ fragmentation (n = 2-10) is observed, sugg esting that hydrogen bonding plays a part in determining the form of t he fragments produced during CID. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.