Files
Abstract
Gas phase complexes of chromium - coronene, niobium - coronene, niobium - pyrene, gadolinium - cyclooctatetraene and samarium - cyclooctatetraene are produced in a molecular beam using laser vaporization in a pulsed nozzle cluster source. Cation and neutral complexes are studied with time-of-flight mass spectrometry and mass-selected photodissociation. Clusters produced ranged from simple metal-organic adducts to metal-hydrocarbon and metal-carbide fragments. Mass spectrometry of Cr-coronene reveals formation of multi-decker sandwiches and a preference for binding to one side of the coronene molecule. Significant deviation from previously studied systems is observed for niobium - coronene and niobium - pyrene. Niobium is considerably more reactive with PAH species than other transition metals studied to date. Known solution phase sandwiches of Ln-cyclooctatetraene are also found to be produced as stable neutrals in the gas phase.