Reactions of Laser-Ablated Y and La Atoms, Cations and Electrons with O2. Infrared Spectra and Density Functional Calculations of the MO, MO+, MO2, MO2+, and MO2- Species in Solid Argon

Laser-ablated Y and La condensed with O 2 in excess argon formed small metal oxides, cations, and anions, which were identified from isotopic substitution and density functional frequency calculations. In accord with gas phase thermochemistry, the OYO and OLaO molecules are more weakly bound than YO and LaO, on the basis of vibrational frequencies, and their symmetric stretching modes are unusually intense. The bent OYO - and OLaO - anions, the cyclic Y(O 2 ) + and La(O 2 ) +, and linear OLaO + cation isomers are characterized. The (O 2 )MO and MO 3 isomers are also observed.