title: Mass-selected IR-VUV (118 nm) spectroscopic studies of radicals, aliphatic molecules, and their clusters.
abstract: Mass-selected IR plus UV/VUV spectroscopy and mass spectrometry have been coupled into a powerful technique to investigate chemical, physical, structural, and electronic properties of radicals, molecules, and clusters. Advantages of the use of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation to create ions for mass spectrometry are its application to nearly all compounds with ionization potentials below the energy of a single VUV photon, its circumventing the requirement of UV chromophore group, its inability to ionize background gases, and its greatly reduced fragmenting capabilities. In this review, mass-selected IR plus VUV (118 nm) spectroscopy is introduced first in a general manner. Selected application examples of this spectroscopy are presented, which include the detections and structural analysis of radicals, molecules, and molecular clusters in a supersonic jet.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jiwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Elliot R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D005609:Free Radicals
keywords: IR spectroscopy; VUV ionization; clusters; gas-phase; molecular beam; time-of-flight mass spectrometry