A VUV photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the formation, distribution, and reaction of nano-sized neutral metal oxide clusters

It is experimentally challenging to generate and detect nano-sized neutral metal oxide clusters with high resolution mass spectrometry. Herein, a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer based instrument has been home-made to study the generation, distribution, and reaction of nano-sized neutral metal oxide clusters. The VUV laser generation system has been designed to produce four 118 nm laser beams to ionize neutral metal oxide clusters in a supersonic beam with the head-to-head style. The TOF mass spectrometer is capable of analyzing nano-sized neutral metal oxide clusters with high mass resolution. Nano-sized neutral manganese oxide clusters MnmOn (m=5-58; n= 8-82) have been generated and the mass resolution (m/Delta m) for Mn-41 O-59 (similar to 1.3 nm) is about 7270. The association products MnmOn-OnC2H4 can be observed for the reaction of neutral manganese oxide clusters with C-2 H-4. The rate constants for the reaction of (Mn2O3)(N) (N = 2-22) with C2H4 have been experimentally determined. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.