Reactions occurring within gas phase fluorobenenze-ammonia heterocluster cations (FC(6)H(5)-(NH(3))(n=1-4)) have been studied through the use of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer as well as employing density functional theory (DFT). Collision induced dissociation (CID) experiments were conducted in which mass selected cluster ions are accelerated into a cell containing argon gas and the resulting products then subsequently mass analyzed. Two dominate reaction channels are observed. The first is simple evaporative loss of neutral ammonia from the cluster ion. The second involves a substitution reaction occurring within the cluster ion to form the aniline cation, C(6)H(5)NH(2)(+), where the reactivity was found to vary as a function of cluster size. DFT calculations have been performed to both help analyze the structure and the reactivity of these cluster ions. Pronounced differences in activation energies were found that provide an explanation for the observed variation of reactivity as a function of cluster size. An ad hoc model based upon the Arrhenius equation was developed to fit both the experimental collision energy dependence of the reaction and the observed lowering of the reaction barrier to aniline formation as a function of cluster size.

A better understanding of magnetic interactions, charge distribution, and redox properties of vanadium oxide nanotubes (VONTs) is necessary for accurate structure and mechanism of formation determination. Magnetic properties have been determined for pristine and lithiated VONTs and for the VONTs arranged in nanourchin morphology. Presence of paramagnetic V 4+ ions and V 4+ ions coupled in magnetic dimers is found, and their amounts are estimated. Both lithiation and change of morphology to nanourchin destroy the spin-gap behavior, which indicate changes in charge distribution. No ferromagnetic response is observed in lithiated VONTs. Magnetic properties of vanadium oxide nanorods with δ-V 4 O 10 structure are also characterized.