Magic Numbers in Molecular Clusters: A Probe for Chemical Reactivity

Abstract

When neutral van der Waals clusters, produced in a supersonic expansion, are ionized the resulting cluster ion distribution can exhibit dramatic intensity anomalies for very specific cluster sizes. These 'magic numbers' typically result from a particularly stable cluster ion geometry generated by the completion of a full solvent shell around a central ion core. In this paper we will review our current work which employs magic numbers as a probe, not only of cluster ion structure, but also of chemical reactivity within these species. That is, the appearance of certain magic numbers can be attributed to unique cluster reactions occurring between the ion and the solvating molecules within the cluster.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 29, 1992
Accession Number
ADA251252

Entities

People

  • James F. Garvey
  • M. Todd Coolbaugh

Organizations

  • University at Buffalo

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alcohols
  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Diesel Fuels
  • Dissociation
  • High Pressure
  • Ionization
  • Mass Spectra
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Molecules
  • New York
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Reactivities
  • Solvation
  • Universities

Readers

  • Quantum Chemistry
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flight
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow