Hoshina, K., Kawamura, H., Tsuge, M., Tamiya, M., Ishiguro, M.
Journal of Chemical Physics 134 (6) 64324 0021-9606 2011/02/14
[Refereed][Not invited] We investigated a formation channel of triatomic molecular hydrogen ions from ethane dication induced by irradiation of intense laser fields (800 nm, 100 fs, similar to 1 x 10(14) W/cm(2)) by using time of flight mass spectrometry. Hydrogen ion and molecular hydrogen ion (H,D)(n)+ (n = 1-3) ejected from ethane dications, produced by double ionization of three types of samples, CH(3)CH(3), CD(3)CD(3), and CH(3)CD(3), were measured. All fragments were found to comprise components with a kinetic energy of similar to 3.5 eV originating from a two-body Coulomb explosion of ethane dications. Based on the signal intensities and the anisotropy of the ejection direction with respect to the laser polarization direction, the branching ratios, H(+):D(+) = 66:34, H(2)(+):HD(+):D(2)(+) = 63:6:31, and H(3)(+):H(2)D(+): HD(2)(+):D(3)(+) = 26:31:34: 9 for the decomposition of C(2)H(3)D(3)(2+), were determined. The ratio of hydrogen molecules, H(2):HD:D(2) = 31:48:21, was also estimated from the signal intensities of the counter ion C(2)(H,D)(4)(2+). The similarity in the extent of H/D mixture in (H,D)(3)(+) with that of (H,D)(2) suggests that these two dissociation channels have a common precursor with the C(2)H(4)(2+)center dot center dot center dot H(2) complex structure, as proposed theoretically in the case of H3+ ejection from allene dication [A. M. Mebel and A. D. Bandrauk, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 224311 (2008)]. In contrast, the (H,D)(2)(+) ejection path with a lower extent of H/D mixture and a large anisotropy is expected to proceed essentially via a different path with a much rapid decomposition rate. For the Coulomb explosion path of C-C bond breaking, the yield ratios of two channels, CH(3)CD(3)(2+) -> CH(3)(+) + CD(3)(+) and CH(2)D(+) + CHD(2)(+), were 81:19 and 92:8 for the perpendicular and parallel directions, respectively. This indicates that the process occurs at a rapid rate, which is comparable to hydrogen migration through the C-C bond, resulting in smaller anisotropy for the latter channel that needs H/D exchange. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3549137]