The energetics of the dehydration of proton-bound dimers studied with a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer.

Abstract

This thesis represents the completion of two years of research in the field of gas-phase ion chemistry. A Finnigan GCQ ion trap mass spectrometer has been modified for the measurement of ion/molecule reaction rate constants. The rate constants for the reactions between CH3OH2 + and methanol, CH3CH2OH2 + with methanol and ethanol, CH3CH2CH2 OH2+with methanol, ethanol and n-propanol and protonated isopropanol with neutral isopropanol, all leading to products consisting of a protonated ether and neutral water, have been determined. The second portion of this work involved measuring the ion/molecule reaction rate constants for three reactions involving acetonitrile and primary alcohols. These values for the rate constants have been used to extract the activation energy for isomerization of the initially formed proton-bound dimer in each case. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)