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Dramatic size effects and evidence of structural isomers in the reactions of rhodium clusters, Rhn±, with nitrous oxide

Version 2 2024-06-03, 17:42
Version 1 2017-05-11, 14:42
journal contribution
posted on 2007-01-01, 00:00 authored by D Harding, M S Ford, Tiffany WalshTiffany Walsh, S R Mackenzie
The reactions of gas phase rhodium clusters, Rh n ± (n < 30), with nitrous oxide, N 2 O, have been investigated under single collision conditions by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The only significant reaction observed is the sequential generation of oxides. Absolute rate constants for the reactions of all clusters have been determined and, in the case of the cationic clusters especially, they exhibit large fluctuations as a function of cluster size with local minima observed for n = 5, 19, 28. Striking similarities are observed with the variation in rate constants for these clusters in reactions with small hydrocarbons (C. Adlhart and E. Uggerud, J. Chem. Phys., 2005, 123, 214709). Corresponding size effects are also observed but are less marked in the reactions of the anionic clusters. The reactions of several clusters exhibit marked deviations from simple pseudo-first-order kinetics suggesting the presence of multiple isomeric forms: Rh 11 + , Rh 12 + and Rh 8 - exhibit characteristic biexponential decays which are interpreted in terms of the existence of different structural forms of the cluster which have markedly different reactivity. By contrast, Rh 6 + , Rh 7 + and Rh 8 + show rates which apparently increase with time, probably due to collisional activation. Thermalisation of the clusters prior to reaction by exposure to pulses of argon results in changes to the kinetics of these anomalous systems which can be explained in terms of collision induced isomerisation.

History

Journal

Physical chemistry chemical physics

Volume

9

Issue

17

Pagination

2130 - 2136

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry

Location

London, Eng.

ISSN

1463-9076

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2007, the Owner Societies