Vibrational Spectroscopy of Gas-Phase Metal-Carbide Clusters and Nanocrystals

Deniz van Heijnsbergen; Gert von Helden; Michael A. Duncan; André J. A. van Roij; Gerard Meijer

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.4983

Vibrational Spectroscopy of Gas-Phase Metal-Carbide Clusters and Nanocrystals

Deniz van Heijnsbergen, Gert von Helden, Michael A. Duncan, André J. A. van Roij, and Gerard Meijer

Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 4983 – Published 13 December 1999

Abstract

Neutral $Ti_{8} C_{12}$ and $Ti_{14} C_{13}$ clusters are produced in the gas phase with pulsed-nozzle laser vaporization. Infrared multiphoton excitation with a pulsed free-electron laser results in thermionic electron emission for these clusters, and the parent molecular ions are detected. Multiphoton ionization is strongly enhanced on vibrational resonances of these clusters, making it possible to observe infrared resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectra. These spectra indicate C-C bonding for the “met-cars” while $Ti_{14} C_{13}$ has remarkable similarities to bulk TiC.

Received 2 August 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.4983

Authors & Affiliations

Deniz van Heijnsbergen^1,2, Gert von Helden^1,2, Michael A. Duncan³, André J. A. van Roij^1,2, and Gerard Meijer^1,2

¹Department of Molecular and Laser Physics, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, NL-6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
²and FOM Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Edisonbaan 14, NL-3430 BE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
³Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602