Threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy and selected ion flow tube reactions of cyclic - C

The product ion branching ratios and rate coefficients have been measured using a selected ion flow tube (SIFT) at 298 K for the bimolecular reactions of cyclic-C5F8 with several atomic and molecular cations. The majority of reactions occur at the collisional rate calculated by the modified average dipole orientation theory, with the exception of H2O for which the reaction efficiency is only 55 %. Apart from H2O and N, the similarity of the product ion branching ratios determined from threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) and ion-molecule data suggests that long-range electron transfer is the dominant mechanism for reactions involving ions with recombination energies between 12 and 17 eV. For N, the product ion branching ratios are very different to those produced by photoionisation; this result may be explained if some of the N-atom products are formed electronically excited. The onset of an ionisation signal of c-C5F8 measured by TPEPICO spectroscopy occurs at 12.25 ± 0.05 eV. This is much higher than the value of the first adiabatic ionisation energy determined from electron ionisation (11.24 ± 0.10 eV), He (I) photoionisation (11.30 ± 0.05 eV), and an independent high resolution threshold photoelectron spectrum (11.237 ± 0.002 eV). The ground electronic state of c-C5F8 has very weak intensity under threshold electron conditions. The TPEPICO spectrum of c-C5F8 recorded from 12−23 eV shows detection of the parent ion and the daughter ions C4F6 and C5F7, with their appearance energies increasing in this order. Ion yield curves and branching ratios have been determined. Using Gaussian 03, the enthalpy of formation of c-C5F8 at 298 K has been determined to be −1495 kJ mol.