Thermal decomposition of triruthenium dodecacarbonyl investigated by variable-temperature mass spectrometry in the gas phase

The thermal decomposition processes of chemically prepared triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, Ru3(CO)12, were investigated by variable-temperature mass spectrometry (MS) in the gas phase. Ru3(CO)12 was sublimated and merged in a molecular beam of He and CO gases and was heated to a high temperature in an extension tube. Subsequently, it was probed by MS after photoionization at 7.89 eV. CO ligand molecules were sequentially released in the temperature range of 500-900 K, forming Ru3. Among the intermediate cluster compositions, Ru3(CO)7 was the most thermally durable cluster, while Ru3(CO)3, Ru3(CO)5, and Ru3(CO)10 were less durable and decomposed within a narrow temperature range.

Automated summary

In this study, the thermal decomposition processes of chemically prepared triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, Ru3(CO)12, were investigated using variable-temperature mass spectrometry in the gas phase. The results showed that CO ligand molecules were sequentially released within the temperature range of 500-900 K, forming different ruthenium clusters. Among them, Ru3(CO)7 was found to be the most thermally durable, while Ru3(CO)3, Ru3(CO)5, and Ru3(CO)10 decomposed within a narrow temperature range.