Electron Attachment and Electron Ionization of Helium Droplets Containing Clusters of C60 and Formic Acid

Abstract

High-resolution mass spectra of helium droplets doped with C$_{60}$ and formic acid (FA) are ionized by electrons. Positive ion mass spectra reveal cluster ions [(C$_{60}$)$_p$FA$_n$]$^+$ together with their hydrogenated and dehydrogenated counterparts. Also observed are ions containing one or more water (W) molecules. The abundance distributions of these ions reveal several interesting features: i) [(C$_{60}$)$_p$FA$_n$]$^+$ ions are more abundant than hydrogenated [(C$_{60}$)$_p$FA$_n$H]$^+$ ions even though the opposite is true in the absence of C$_{60}$ (i.e. if $p$ = 0); ii) although [C$_{60}$FA]$^+$ is the most abundant ion containing a single C$_{60}$, multiple C$_{60}$ suppress the [(C$_{60}$)$_p$FA]$^+$ signal; iii) an enhanced stability of [(C$_{60}$)$_p$W$_1$FA$_5$H]$^+$ and [(C$_{60}$)$_p$W$_2$FA$_6$H]$^+$ mirrors that of [W$_1$FA$_5$H]$^+$ and [W$_2$FA$_6$H]$^+$, respectively. On the other hand, the enhanced stability of [C$_{60}$FA$_6$H]$^+$ finds no parallel in the stability pattern of [FA$_n$H]$^+$ or FA$_n$$^+$. Negative ion mass spectra indicate a propensity for non-dissociated [(C$_{60}$)$_p$FA$_n$]$^-$ anions if $p \geq 1$ which contrasts with the dominance of dehydrogenated [FA$_n$-H]$^-$ anions.