Negative Ion Formation by Attachment of Electrons to Radicals: CN^-

Positive Ionization Based Negative Ion Formation

Abstract

Due to the unpaired electron the radical can capture a free electron in its singly-occupied orbital and become a negative ion. In gases irradiated by ionizing radiation radicals are formed by various processes such as dissociation of excited molecules and ions, ion-molecule reactions, and recombination of ions. We wish to introduce our ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spetrometric study of CN^- ion produced in hydrogen cyanide and to demonstrate that the radical CN^· formed from the positive ions are the important precursors of CN^- ions observed.