SELECTIVE BOND RUPTURE IN NITROUS-OXIDE STIMULATED BY CORE ELECTRON-EXCITATION

Dissociation of nitrous oxide following selective excitation of a 1 s electron either from the terminal nitrogen atom or from the central ni trogen atom to the 3 pi orbital is observed by single-event energy-res olved Auger-electron-multiple-ion coincidence mass spectroscopy. The i onic products, observed by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, are corre lated with the valence-hole states, which are reached by autoionizatio n of the core-hole excited state, and with the energetically allowed i onization and fragmentation channels. Selectivity in bond rupture resu lting from the atomic-site selected excitation is observed. This selec tivity results from the different populations of the states reached in the Auger-like decay of the coreholes and not from a proximity effect . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.