Abstract
In the laser ablation-molecular beam (LAMB) method developed by the present author's group, metal ions (M+) laser-ablated from a metal surface react with molecules or clusters (organic, thorganic, organometallic, or mixed) in a molecular beam injected nearby. A variety of novel product ions are detected by mass spectroscopy . The intrinsic property of each metal atom is clearly manifested, apart from any effect of solvent, ligand, or substituent. For Cr (CO)6, mixed-metal carbonyls, MCr(CO)n+ (n=0.6), are observed. For benzene clusters, clustered complex ions M(C6H6)n+ or fragment complex ions M(C6H6)(CxHy)n+, x≤6 and y≤4, are obtained. Their structures are very intriguing. For ammonia or methanol clusters, the observed intensity gaps indicate the favorable coordination number of each M+ in the gas phase. The LAMB method, albeit very simple, is a very versatile method. We can envisage a wide scope ranging from physical, organometallic, and catalytic chemistry to astrophysics.
