Experimental Studies of Gas-Phase Multiply-Charged Anions

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In this project in the Physical Chemistry program of the Chemistry Division, Profs. Robert C. Compton and Albert Tuinman of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Tennessee will engage in a series of investigations in the area of ion-molecule chemistry. Specifically, the investigators will study the properties of doubly charged negative ions of polyatomic molecules. The work consists of two parts. 1) Guided by theoretical predictions, a search will be undertaken for multiply charged negative molecular ions, and 2) the energy dependent cross sections of the first and second electron attachments to such molecules as are found in part 1) will be determined. Special attention will be given to the fullerene molecules C60 and C60F48. The area of study of doubly charged negative ions has been beset with great difficulties in the past, in consequence of which there has been a lot of controversy. Nearly all previous reports on doubly charged negative molecular ions have been found to be based on spurious data and experimental artifacts. The present work is judged to have great promise in achieving a breakthrough in this field. This research is important not only for its intrinsic value in an area of strong current interest, but it also holds promise to be relevant to technical applications such as the electrospray process.