Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
Hydration of alumina cluster anions in the gas phase
Anita K Gianotto1, Jennifer W Rawlinson, Kevin C Cossel
1Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA.
Abstract:
Hydration reactions of anionic aluminum oxide clusters were measured using a quadrupole ion trap secondary ion mass spectrometer, wherein the number of Lewis acid sites were determined. The extent of hydration varied irregularly as cluster size increased and indicated that the clusters possessed condensed structures where the majority of the Al atoms were fully coordinated, with a limited number of undercoordinated sites susceptible to hydrolysis. For maximally hydrated ions, the number of OH groups per Al decreased in an exponential fashion from 4.0 in Al(1) cluster to 1.4 in the Al(9) cluster, which was greater than that expected for a highly hydroxylated surface but less than that for solution phase alumina clusters.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry
¹³C NMR: ¹H–¹³C Decoupling
A broadband decoupling technique is used to simplify these complex, sometimes overlapping, signals. Broadband decoupling relies on a...
Mass Spectrum: Interpretation
Sublimation
Ion-Exchange Chromatography

