Suppression of decomposition of aniline cation in intense laser fields by cluster formation with NH3 and H2O

Using a tandem-type time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, the mass-selected aniline (AN)-water cluster cations, [AN(H2O)(n)](+) (n = 1, 2), were irradiated with the intense femtosecond (fs) laser fields (lambda similar to 395 nm, I similar to 5 x 10(15) W/cm(2), Deltat similar to 50 fs). By the cluster formation with H2O, decomposition of AN(+), AN(+) --> C5H6+ + HNC, induced by the intense fs laser fields was significantly suppressed. From the observation that the suppression of the decomposition of AN(+) occurs from [AN(H2O)(n)](+) more efficiently than from [AN(NH3)(n)](+) (n = 1, 2), the effect of the cluster formation on the decomposition process was discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.