Investigation of reactions of metal ions and their clusters in the gas phase by laser-ionization fourier-transform mass spectrometry.

Recent developments in our laboratory involving both software and hardware modifications of the Nicolet FTMS-1000 Fourier-transform mass spectrometer now enable us to conduct research in what can be termed a "complete gas-phase chemical laboratory." Selected ions of interest can be mixed with various reagents and their detailed chemistries monitored through a series of as many as eight reaction sequences. At any point in these sequences, ion structures can be elucidated and fundamental kinetic and thennodynamic parameters of the reactions can be determined. In particular we have been applying these powerful new techniques to the examination of the gas-phase chemistry and photochemistry of metal ions, metal clusters and metal complexes, which have a bearing on the fundamentals of organometallic chemistry and catalysis. This paper presents some highlights of this work.