Aluminum Cluster Anion Reactivity with Singlet Oxygen: Evidence of Al9– Stability

Recently, it was discovered that specific aluminum clusters (e.g., Al 13 – ) that demonstrate enhanced resistance to reactivity with oxygen may do so not only because of a closed electronic jellium shell as originally supposed but also because of a forbidden spin-flip in the transition state of the reaction. Herein, we discuss an experiment using a multiple-species laminar flow reaction vessel coupled to a singlet oxygen generator. The present results suggest that all clusters react with singlet oxygen. Additionally, we observe Al 9 –, a cluster previously unidentified as having any notable stability, as being resistant to reaction with triplet oxygen. Furthermore, we discuss a means of estimating rate constants in a multiple-species flow tube where the products and reactants do not allow the use of traditional methods.