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Tandem Mobility Measurements of Ionic Liquid Cluster Volatilities

delete2026-02-10
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PRE
AI
C
Christian Luebbert
L
Luis J. Perez-Lorenzo
J
Juan Fernández de la Mora *
DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.5c05860delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
We illustrate the potential of a pair of steady-state ion mobility filters run in series, similar to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, not only to operate under atmospheric pressure but also to determine reaction kinetics at controlled pressure and temperature. Singly charged cluster cations of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate (EMI-FAP) produced by a bipolar electrospray source are isolated steadily at atmospheric pressure by a first ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). A second IMS then determines the composition of evaporative decay products: (EMI-FAP)n−1EMI+→(EMI-FAP)n−2EMI++EMI-FAP (2 ≤ n ≤ 30) after passing through a heated parabolic flow reactor tube at controlled temperatures T (23–40 °C). Measured product/parent abundance ratios are converted into reaction constants kn via a previously described theory. At n < 11, evaporation rates kn exhibit idiosyncrasies characteristic of various magic numbers, some of which are also reflected in a cluster compactness parameter inferred from the measured mobility cross section and mass. An approximately continuous variation of volatility with n is found for 11 ≤ n ≤ 14, and for n ≥ 19, with a region of low volatility in between. This especially stable domain of four clusters (15 ≤ n ≤ 18) is reached on the right (n = 18) with a discontinuous (4-fold) volatility decrease, suggesting a transition to a liquid-like structure. On the left it merges continuously (though with a steep slope) with the trend at smaller sizes (11 ≤ n ≤ 14).
Keywords:
Cluster chemistry
Cluster ions
Evaporation
Ions
Thermodynamic properties

Journal

Analytical Chemistry cover
Analytical Chemistry
IF:
6.7
Papers:
4.7W
Citations:
15.9W

Organization

Y
yale university
Scholars:
7.1K
Papers: 3.1K
Citations: 2