Double-ionization energies to ground and excited states of the tungsten hexacarbonyl dication.

Tungsten hexacarbonyl was investigated by double-charge-transfer (DCT) spectroscoPy, and the double-ionization energies to ground and electronically excited states of W(CO) 6 (2+) determined. The double-ionization energies corresponding to the first two distinct peaks in the spectra are 22.8 ± 0.3 eV and 28.5 ± 0.3 eV, but numerous overlapping peaks at higher energies are evident. It is shown that the DeI spectra can explain the main features of a previously determined (J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 1990, 1, 16-27) internal energy distribution curve for W(CO) 6 (2+) ions formed by 70-eV electron ionization of W(CO)6 molecules.