Gas phase synthesis, structure and unimolecular reactivity of silver iodide cluster cations, AgnIm (n = 2–5, 0 < m < n)

Abstract

Multistage mass spectrometry (MSn) experiments reveal that gas phase silver iodide cluster cations, AgnIm+, are readily built up in a stepwise fashion via ion–molecule reactions between mass selected silver (Ag3+ and Ag5+) or silver hydride (Ag2H+ and Ag4H+) cluster cations and allyl iodide, in contrast to their reactions with methyl iodide, which solely result in ligation of the clusters. The stoichiometries of these clusters range from 1 ≤ n ≤ 5 and 1 ≤ m ≤ 4, indicating the formation of several new subvalent silver iodide clusters. Collision induced dissociation (CID) experiments were carried out on each of these clusters to shed some light on their possible structures. The products arisi..