Electron attachment to chlorouracil: a comparison between 6-ClU and 5-ClU.
Low energy electron impact to the isomers 6-chlorouracil (6-ClU) and 5-chlorouracil (5-ClU) yields a variety of negative ion fragments with surprisingly high cross sections. These ions are dominantly formed via sharply structured resonance features at energies below the threshold for electronic excitation and result from dissociative electron attachment (DEA). The most dominant DEA channel is formation of (M-HCl)-, i.e., ejection of a neutral HCl molecule with the negative charge remaining on the ring. The reaction cross section is 9 x 10(-18) m2 and 5 x 10(-18) m2 for 6-Cl and 5-ClU, respectively, and thus about two orders of magnitude higher than the geometrical cross section of the molecule. Further reactions also operative via low energy resonances (<2.5 eV) are Cl- abstraction, dehydrogenation [formation of (M-H)-, M=ClU], and DEA processes associated with a ring opening. Most of the ion yield curves exhibit remarkably sharp structures which have not been observed before in DEA to a polyatomic system. Although some possibilities on their origin are discussed, their interpretation remains a challenge for theory and further experiments. While electron attachment to both 6-ClU and 5-ClU generates fragments of the same stoichiometric composition, their ion yields and also their relative intensities show some very pronounced differences which can be explained by the different structure but also the different energetic situation in the two isomers.
Institut für Ionenphysik, Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Stephan
S
Denifl
Stefan
S
Matejcik
Sylwia
S
Ptasinska
Bettina
B
Gstir
Michael
M
Probst
Paul
P
Scheier
Eugen
E
Illenberger
Tilmann D
TD
Mark
D003198:Computer Simulation; D004583:Electrons; D007536:Isomerism; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects
C044976:6-chlorouracil; D014498:Uracil; C010889:5-chlorouracil