Comparison of Clusters Produced from Sb2Se3 Homemade Polycrystalline Material, Thin Films, and Commercial Polycrystalline Bulk Using Laser Desorption Ionization with Time of Flight Quadrupole Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry.

This study compared Sb2Se3 material in the form of commercial polycrystalline bulk, sputtered thin film, and homemade polycrystalline material using laser desorption ionization (LDI) time of flight mass spectrometry with quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. It also analyzed the stoichiometry of the SbmSen clusters formed. The results showed that homemade Sb2Se3 bulk was more stable compared to thin film; its mass spectra showed the expected cluster formation. The use of materials for surface-assisted LDI (SALDI), i.e., graphene, graphene oxide, and C60, significantly increased the mass spectra intensity. In total, 19 SbmSen clusters were observed. Six novel, high-mass clusters-Sb4Se4+, Sb5Se3-6+, and Sb7Se4+-were observed for the first time when using paraffin as a protective agent.