Photoionization and induced chemical reactions of benzotrichloride on solution surface

An alcohol solution of benzotrichloride was introduced into vacuum as a con tinuous liquid flow (liquid beam) and was irradiated with nanosecond (simil ar to 5 ns) and femtosecond (similar to 200 ns) lasers at the wavelength of 274 nm. Ions produced by multiphoton ionization in the liquid beam and eje cted from it were analyzed by a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer . The ions produced were assigned to chloroalcoxybenzyl ions, C6H5CCl(OR)(), and dialkoxybenzyl ions C6H5C(OR)(2)(+) A trace amount of C6H5CCl2+ was observed as well. The mass assignment and the structure of C6H5C(OR)(2)(+) were confirmed by a collision-induced dissociation experiment, where the do minant fragment ion was found to be C6H5C(OH)(2)(+). In comparison with the product ions by the nanosecond and femtosecond lasers, it is concluded tha t C6H5CCl(OR)(+) and C6H5C(OR)(2)(+) are produced by the reaction of the io nic precursor, C6H5CCl2+ With alcohol, ROH.