1. Infrared Spectroscopy of Cluster Anions Containing Aromatic Molecules
J. Mathias Weber, JILA, NIST, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Rationale: Little structural information is available on interaction motifs of anionic clusters involving aromatic molecules.
Significance (examples): Interaction of important anions (e.g. O2-) with functional groups in proteins; hydration of large charge distributions; substitution chemistry and supramolecular assemblies; anion molecular recognition
Approach: Infrared spectroscopy of mass selected cluster ions in a molecular beam
Some key questions:
How are aromatic anions solvated? How does water interact with graphene-like molecules and materials?
How do aromatic molecules interact with anions ?
Example: Water molecules and clusters stabilize excess electrons
in the p* system of naphthalene
Example: O2-C6H6 structure
dictated by p* orbital of O2-; interaction is preferentially with
one CH group, only weakly
tethered to a neighboring CH.