Photoluminescence Spectroscopy of Mass-Selected Electrosprayed Ions Embedded in Cryogenic Rare-Gas Matrixes

Abstract

An apparatus is presented which combines nanoelectrospray ionization for isolation of large molecular ions from solution, mass-to-charge ratio selection in gas-phase, low-energy-ion-beam deposition into a (co-condensed) inert gas matrix and UV laser-induced visible-region photoluminescence (PL) of the matrix isolated ions. Performance is tested by depositing three different types of lanthanoid diketonate cations including also a dissociation product species not directly accessible by chemical synthesis. For these strongly photoluminescent ions, accumulation of some femto- to picomoles in a neon matrix (over a time scale of tens of minutes to several hours) is sufficient to obtain well-resolved dispersed emission spectra. We have ruled out contributions to these spectra due to charge neutralization or fragmentation during deposition by also acquiring photoluminescence spectra of the same ionic species in the gas phase.

Design and Performance of a Soft-Landing Instrument for Fragment Ion Deposition

“…The pressure in the deposition region may be further reduced by adding one or two differential pumping stages to enable the characterization of oxygen-and water-sensitive species. 49 Kinetic Energy Distribution Measurement. For the KE distribution (KED) measurement, a metal plate is mounted 5 mm downstream from the einzel lens, and a grounded stainless-steel mesh (part no.…”

Navigate flying molecular elephants safely to the ground: mass-selective soft landing up to the Mega-Dalton range by Electrospray Controlled Ion-Beam Deposition

“…Though he used an electron impact source, this early experiment is remarkable, as it demonstrates that the ion generation and the primary transfer into vacuum is limiting, not the capacities downstream. Mass-selected ESI spray started 40,58,62,132,134,[144][145][146][147]225 in the 21 th century, The Laskin group reports up to -4.6 nA for negative 149 .…”

“…Additionally, chemical noise and sediments in the ion path were reduced by implementing a jet disrupter in the funnel design 100,137,138 . Removal of unwanted neutrals is also achieved by altered beam geometry: folding 139 or bending beams orthogonally in a transvers quadrupole 19,23,42,[140][141][142][143][144][145][146] , or by curved ion guides [147][148][149] . The latest approach is the orthogonal arrangement of the transfer-capillary relative to the ion-funnel 42,146,150,151 , Additionally, this allows for multiple and multiplexed spray-systems in parallel 149,152 .…”

Navigate flying molecular elephants safely to the ground: mass-selective soft landing up to the Mega-Dalton range by Electrospray Controlled Ion-Beam Deposition

“…Though he used an electron impact source, this early experiment is remarkable, as it demonstrates that the ion generation and the primary transfer into vacuum is limiting, not the capacities downstream. Mass-selected ESI spray started 40,58,62,132,134,[144][145][146][147]225 in the 21 th century, The Laskin group reports up to -4.6 nA for negative…”

“…Additionally, chemical noise and sediments in the ion path were reduced by implementing a jet disrupter in the funnel design 100,137,138 . Removal of unwanted neutrals is also achieved by altered beam geometry: folding 139 or bending beams orthogonally in a transvers quadrupole 19,23,42,[140][141][142][143][144][145][146] , or by curved ion guides [147][148][149] . The latest approach is the orthogonal arrangement of the transfer-capillary relative to the ion-funnel 42,146,150,151 , Additionally, this allows for multiple and multiplexed spray-systems in parallel 149,152 .…”