Characterisation of ruthenium clusters carrying facial arene ligands using ultraviolet laser desorption mass spectrometry: aggregation of gas-phase monocharged anionic clusters from neutral molecular clusters

The ultraviolet laser desorption mass spectra of [Ru4(CO)9{µ3-η2:η2:η2-C6-C4(η2-CMeCH2)2-1,3}] and [Ru6C(CO)14(µ3-η2:η2:η2-C16H16)] show abundant singly-charged negative ions; peaks corresponding to successive loss of carbonyl ligands from an otherwise intact parent cluster along with a remarkable series of higher mass species formed in the source region of the mass spectrometer are seen.