The effect of intracluster photoelectron interactions on the angular distribution in I(-)*CH(3)I photodetachment

Matthew Van Duzor; Jie Wei; Foster Mbaiwa; Richard Mabbs

doi:10.1063/1.3266936

The effect of intracluster photoelectron interactions on the angular distribution in I(-)*CH(3)I photodetachment

J Chem Phys. 2009 Nov 28;131(20):204306. doi: 10.1063/1.3266936.

Authors

Matthew Van Duzor¹, Jie Wei, Foster Mbaiwa, Richard Mabbs

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, Washington University, One Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1134, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.

PMID: 19947679
DOI: 10.1063/1.3266936

Abstract

I(-) and I(-)*CH(3)I velocity mapped photodetachment images are recorded over wavelengths between 270 and 370 nm. Spectral similarities, in conjunction with ab initio calculations show that the cluster anion comprises an atomic iodide anion moiety solvated by a relatively unperturbed CH(3)I molecule. Between 340-370 nm and at 280 nm, free I(-) is produced via a process analogous to dissociative electron attachment within the cluster anion. More strikingly, the photoelectron angular distribution for each species at a given electron kinetic energy is very different, despite detachment occurring from the iodide 5p orbital in each case. These observations reveal the effect of interaction of the photoelectron with the neutral cluster residue and are discussed in terms of resonances associated primarily with the CH(3)I molecule.