title: Generation and characterization of dihydroxycarbene, HO-C-OH, by neutralization/reionization mass spectrometry.
abstract: Dihydroxycarbene is produced in the gas phase by neutralization of the HO-C-OH+. radical cation which is formed by dissociative electron ionization of oxalic acid. Reionization approximately 0.3 microseconds later shows that HO-C-OH can survive intact and, thus, exists as a stable species with appreciable barriers for dissociation or rearrangement to formic acid (HCOOH). Within the time scale of the experiment, a small fraction of the carbene decomposes to H2O+CO. Comparison of the experimental results with ab initio theory shows that the dissociating HO-C-OH molecules are generated in the electronically excited triplet state, while the large amount of surviving carbene molecules is formed in the singlet ground state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Akron, Ohio 44325-3601.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Wiedmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wesdemiotis
mesh_terms: D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008697:Methane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D010070:Oxalates / Q000032:analysis; D019815:Oxalic Acid
chemical_list: D010070:Oxalates; C091176:dihydroxycarbene; D019815:Oxalic Acid; D008697:Methane