Hydrogen formation in the reaction of Zn+ (H2O)n with HCl.

Hydrated singly charged zinc cations Zn (H2O)n, n approximately 6-53, were studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. Black-body radiation induced dissociation results exclusively in sequential loss of individual water molecules. In the reaction of Zn+ (H2O)n with gaseous HCl, Zn is oxidized and hydrogen reduced when a second HCl molecule is taken up, leading to the formation of ZnCl+ (HCl)(H2O)n-m cluster ions and evaporation of atomic hydrogen together with m H2O molecules.

Reactions of hydrated electrons (H2O)n- with carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen: hydration of the CO2- and O2- ions.

The gas-phase reactions of hydrated electrons with carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen were studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. Both CO2 and O2 react efficiently with (H2O)n- because they possess low-lying empty pi* orbitals. The molecular CO2- and O2- anions are concurrently solvated and stabilized by the water ligands to form CO2(-)(H2O)n and O2(-)(H2O)n.

Generation of C6H4+* by laser vaporization of magnesium with o-C6H4F2 in argon carrier gas.

A route to efficient generation of C6H4+*, potentially the benzyne radical cation, is presented. Laser vaporization of Mg+* and supersonic expansion in helium doped with o-, m-, or p-C6H4F2 yields, among other ions, o-, m-, p-C6H4F2Mg+* complexes, but no C6H4+*. Collision-induced dissociation experiments show that the o-C6H4F2Mg+* complex can be converted into C6H4+* in a mildly energetic collision, with a center-of-mass energy around 1-2 eV.