TOLUENE AMMONIA CLUSTERS - ION FRAGMENTATION AND CHEMISTRY

The toluene/ammonia cluster system is studied by mass resolved excitation spectroscopy: like the toluene/water system, an extensive ion chemistry is found to exist generating ammonia solvated protons and (solvated) benzyl radicals. Extensive cluster fragmentation (dissociation) is observed even at "threshold ionization energies." Nozzle delay and deuteration studies are applied to elucidate the ion chemistry and dissociation of this cluster system. Proton transfer/cluster fragmentation reactions in this system are driven by the stability of the benzyl radical and (NH3)mH+ and solvation stabilization of the toluene ion. Cluster fragmentation by loss of a single ammonia molecule is not observed. Fragmentation is so extensive for this system that spectral features could not be identified with parent clusters.