The photoionization of oxidized metal clusters

Abstract

Oxidized metal clusters (NaxO and KxO for 2≤x≤4) were formed in a gas phase reaction between metal clusters and an oxidizing gas using a double expansion technique. Their appearance potentials were measured using a molecular beam-photoionization mass spectrometer system. These first photoionization data for oxidized clusters provide information on trends of ionization potentials as a function of the degree of aggregation. The ionization potentials do not differ greatly from the analogous metallic species, but in the case of the sodium tetramer the value does fall below that of the bare metal cluster. This finding is in accord with what has been observed as an influence of impurities on the work function of the bulk sodium. The results are also of interest concerning questions of octet rule violations and hypervalency.