Infrared spectroscopy of Ti8C12 'met-car' cations

Neutral titanium carbide clusters are produced in the gas phase with a stan dard laser vaporization source and stored in an ion trap for 250 ms after i onization. During this time, the ions are irradiated with infrared light fr om a free electron laser. Multiphoton absorption and dissociation occurs wh en the IR light is in resonance with an infrared-allowed vibrational transi tion. Monitoring the amount of ionic fragments as a function of the IR wave length yields the infrared spectrum of the parent, The infrared spectrum of the Ti8C12 cation is recorded and compared to the spectrum of the neutral species. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.