Experimental Confirmation of SrF(CH₃F)_0-4⁺ and SrF(H₂O)(CH₃F)_0-3⁺ Cluster Ions Generated in the Reaction-cell of ICP-QMS/QMS

Abstract

Multiple unknown high-order cluster ions were observed as the results of ion-molecule reactions between strontium ions and fluoromethane molecules in the reaction-cell of an inductively coupled plasma tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (ICP-QMS/QMS). In order to elucidate the structures of these unknown cluster ions, isotope-enriched fluoromethane (CD₃F) was used as the reaction-cell gas compared to natural fluoromethane (CH₃F). As results, SrF(CH₃F)_0-4⁺ and SrF(H₂O)(CH₃F)_0-3⁺ cluster ions were experimentally confirmed in the present work, while SrF(H₂O)(CH₃F)_0-3⁺ cluster ions in the reaction-cell of ICP-QMS/QMS were observed and confirmed for the first time in the world.