MATRIX-ASSISTED-LASER-DESORPTION IONIZATION TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS-SPECTROMETRY (MALDI-TOF MS) OF RHENIUM(III) HALIDES - A CHARACTERIZATION TOOL FOR METAL ATOM CLUSTERS/

The laser desorption/ionization (LDI) and matrix-assisted laser desorp tion/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra of trinuclear CS3Re3Cl12 and Cs3Re3Br12 and dinuclear (Bu4N)(2)[Re2Cl8] are reported . In each case, characteristic fragments due to the loss of halogen at oms give ion signals that can be used to identify the number of rheniu m atoms and the identity of ligands bound to the cluster. The ion sign als are identified by both m/z values and distinctive isotope patterns . The results presented here illustrate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF ma ss spectrometry in the characterization of metal atom clusters.