Ion chemistry of the hexanuclear methoxo-oxovanadium cluster V6O7(OCH3)12

The hexanuclear methoxo-oxovanadium cluster V6O7(OCH3)(12) (1) is investigated by electrospray ionization in methanol solution. Collision experiments unravel the fragmentation schemes of the molecular ions 1(+) and 1(-) as well as the H+, Na+, and Cs+ adducts of 1. In general, fragmentation of the hexanuclear cluster ions commences with sequential expulsions of two OV(OCH3)(3) units to yield the corresponding V-4 clusters. However, when an active proton is present in the cluster ion, e.g., in the protonated molecule [1 + H](+), loss of methanol precedes degradation to V-4 clusters. In addition, the experiments suggest that electrospray ionization provides as an alternative method for the generation of metal oxide cluster ions VmOn+/- (m = 1-4, n = 0-11). (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.