Low energy (0–10 eV) electron attachment to CF3Cl clusters: Formation of product ions and analysis of excess translational energy

Electron attachment to CF3Cl clusters has been studied mass spectrometrically in a beam experiment. In addition to the fragments known from dissociative attachment to the isolated compound (F−, Cl−, etc.), a veriety of larger complexes such as M−n, Mn⋅Cl−, Mn⋅F−, n≥1 (M=CF3Cl) could be observed. The resonance profiles of the ion yield curves suggest that the initial step of electron capture proceeds via the formation of a temporary CF3Cl− ion within the target aggregate followed by different decomposition reactions. Among the various products, the parent radical anion (CF3Cl−) is generated in its relaxed configuration not accessible in electron capture by the isolated molecule. A time-of-flight (TOF) analysis of the Cl− products reveals two decay channels, one associated with high excess translational energy and a second releasing the Cl− ion with only thermal energy.