Dependence on the Initial Configuration of Strong Field-Driven Isomerization of C2H2 Cations and Anions

Bethany Jochim; Ben Berry; T Severt; Peyman Feizollah; M Zohrabi; Kanaka Raju P; E Wells; K D Carnes; I Ben-Itzhak

doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00520

Dependence on the Initial Configuration of Strong Field-Driven Isomerization of C₂H₂ Cations and Anions

J Phys Chem Lett. 2019 May 16;10(10):2320-2327. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00520. Epub 2019 Apr 25.

Authors

Bethany Jochim¹, Ben Berry¹, T Severt¹, Peyman Feizollah¹, M Zohrabi¹, Kanaka Raju P¹, E Wells², K D Carnes¹, I Ben-Itzhak¹

Affiliations

¹ J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics , Kansas State University , Manhattan , Kansas 66506 , United States.
² Department of Physics , Augustana University , Sioux Falls , South Dakota 57197 , United States.

PMID: 31002520
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00520

Abstract

We have investigated the femtosecond laser-induced fragmentation of C₂H₂ ^q ion beam targets in various initial configurations, including acetylene (linear HCCH), vinylidene (H₂CC), and cis/ trans. The initial configuration is shown to have a tremendous impact on the branching ratio of acetylene-like (CH ^q₁ + CH ^q₂) and vinylidene-like (C ^q₁' + CH₂ ^q₂') dissociation of a specific C₂H₂ ^q molecular ion. In particular, whereas C₂H₂⁺ generated from C₂H₂, a linear HCCH target, exhibits comparable levels of acetylene-like and vinylidene-like fragmentation, vinylidene or cis/ trans configuration ion beams preferably undergo vinylidene-like fragmentation, with an acetylene branching ratio ranging from 13.9% to zero.